YouTube Now Supports 360-Degree Videos

YouTube continues to innovate. Today, Google announced a new feature that will delight millions of its users around the world: support for 360-degree video. Although the YouTube team is still working on an automatic version of the feature, YouTube users can now upload 360-degree videos by using a Python (programming language) script, which can be downloaded from GitHub.

There’s also an option to use an app called 360 Video Metadata on your Mac or PC. To make things easy, Google has published a how-to guide in uploading a 360-degree video here.

So, how does it work? According to Sanjeev Verma, a product manager at YouTube, users can view a 360-degree video by moving their phones or tablets around, allowing them to see different angles of the video as it is being played. You can try it now on your Android device. Verma says that the feature will be available on iOS very soon.

The feature also works on the Google Chrome browser. Simply manipulate the navigation buttons or use your mouse to access the 360-degree views. Check out the sample video below to experience the nifty feature.

The Python script or the 360 Video Metadata app is just one part of the story. The other part is hardware or the camera. Google announced a bunch of YouTube-compatible 360-degree cameras including Bublcam, Giroptic’s 360cam, IC Real Tech’s Allie, Kodak’s SP360 and RICOH THETA. Google is also hosting a technology showcase at YouTube Space L.A. to promote the feature.