The settlement from the video streaming giant’s parent company Alphabet – which also owns Google, comes after social media sites X/Twitter and Facebook also agreed to pay Trump for suspending his accounts.

Trump had accused YouTube and other tech companies of political bias, claiming they had unfairly censored conservative voices after the Capitol riot in 2021.

At the time of his suspension, social media companies said that Trump risked inciting further violence in Washington DC.

As part of Monday’s settlement, YouTube will pay $22m to the Trust for the National Mall, a non-profit group that is aiming to raise $200m to build a new ballroom at the White House.

Another $2.5m will be paid to other organisations and individuals who joined Trump’s lawsuit, including the American Conservative Union.

YouTube is the latest major platform to settle with the president.

In January, Facebook’s parent company Meta agreed to a $25m settlement, with $22m earmarked for Trump’s presidential library.

A month later, social media platform X – a company that was purchased by Trump ally Elon Musk in 2022 – settled for a reported $10m.

All of Mr Trump’s social media accounts have since been reinstated.

The settlements come as Silicon Valley has generally taken a more conciliatory tone towards the president. The CEOs of Alphabet, Meta and X all sat in the front row for his inauguration, signalling a shift in relations between the Republican Party and the tech sector.

The social media giants have also taken measures to loosen content moderation on their platforms, which Republicans had claimed amounted to a violation of free speech.

Last week, YouTube said it planned to restore several accounts that had been banned for repeatedly making false claims about Covid and the 2020 presidential election.

“YouTube values conservative voices on its platform and recognises that these creators have extensive reach and play an important role in civic discourse,” the company wrote to a Republican-controlled congressional committee, explaining the decision.

Source: BBC

It comes as an all-party parliamentary group is launched to represent UK creators and influencers.

Its co-chair Feryal Clark, Labour MP for Enfield North, described them as “trailblazers of a new creative revolution” who had been “undervalued in Westminster for too long”.

British content creator Lilly Sabri – who has nearly six and half million followers on the platform, where she posts fitness videos – welcomed the research and the creation of the parliamentary group.

“For many years people have questioned whether being a content creator is a real job, and whether you can actually build a sustainable career from it,” she told the BBC.

While all-party parliamentary groups are informal and have no official power, with around 500 of them representing various sectors and interests, they are able to provide industry insights directly to policy-makers.

For many content creators and influencers, the new group is a symbol of long-overdue recognition for their work.

They say the challenges they face include access to training and funding opportunities, finding suitable studio spaces, and acquiring film permits.

“This new cross-party forum will put that right: tearing down the barriers that stifle talent, championing creators as pioneers of our time, and making sure Britain leads the world as the ultimate home of creativity, innovation and ambition,” Ms Clark said.

Ms Sabri stressed she was also a qualified professional but told BBC news streaming had been central to her career.

“I started as a content creator on YouTube eight years ago, launched my first business around three years ago and my second shortly after.

“Even though my physiotherapy degree is an integral part of what I do, without YouTube I wouldn’t be where I am today and I wouldn’t have launched these businesses and employed as many people as I do.”

This is not the first sign that streamers and influencers are entering the political mainstream.

This summer Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer invited 90 influencers to a reception at 10 Downing Street, and in the US the White House has opened up its press briefings to include content creators and influencers alongside traditional journalists.

Source: BBC

In a video posted on his Instagram page, the actor said he has chosen to change his own approach. “I have decided to take my destiny in my own hands as it pertains to my platform on YouTube,” Kanayo declared.

“Movie making is not about having a fine face, it’s about being a good actor, a good performer. So, with or without a fine face, that’s what I’ve decided to do. If you don’t like it, well, that’s quite unfortunate.”

“There was an incident many years ago when we were trying to bring up this Nollywood business, about 25 years ago. Some sponsors woke up and started branding actors: ‘this one is not a good one, this one does not sell films.’ They killed the careers of those guys,” he said.

The actor explained that YouTube producers are now creating a similar problem by giving roles only to a small circle of actors.

“Such a thing is beginning to rear its ugly head again. The acclaimed YouTube faces are beginning to bring up the same thing, killing talents in the industry,” he lamented.

He added that this “monopoly of faces” makes it hard to sustain creativity and encourage new performers.

“Some of these guys will tell you they are not free from September 2025 till August 2026. How then do we sustain the content you watch? How do we create magic? How do we encourage new actors to come into the business?” Kanayo asked.

The Nollywood veteran stressed that he wants to be chosen for jobs because of his ability, not popularity. “I don’t want any producer to call me for a job because I’m a selling face on any platform. Call me because I can deliver,” he said.

Although frustrated by the trend, the actor remains hopeful. “I don’t know why when things come to Nigeria, there’s always a somersault, and this somersault is happening now on YouTube. But I want to employ my life’s philosophy to say: This too shall pass,” he concluded.

Source: vanguardngr

Speaking on Hitz FM’s Daybreak Hitz with Kwame Dadzie and Doreen Avio, Djansi urged industry players to explore more sustainable channels instead of placing their financial hopes on the streaming site.

“Personally, I don’t believe in the film fund. I think it is premature because there is no proper distribution. If you give the film fund, how are they going to make profit? People think we are just going to put films on YouTube. I’m sorry, YouTube is going to collapse very soon. There is too much congestion, and they are always changing their policies. If you oversaturate it, they reduce the earnings. So how much can you really make if you just put your film there?” she said.

Djansi argued that a government-backed film fund would be wasted if movies ended up on YouTube, stressing that piracy further weakens the platform’s viability.

She also raised concerns about the shortage of qualified film crew in Ghana and announced the Film Crew Networking Fixer, scheduled for Sunday, 24 September 2025, at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park at 6:30 pm. The event will serve as a platform for professionals across the film value chain to connect and collaborate.

Source: Joy Entertainment

While Nollywood continues to dominate the African YouTube movie space with soaring numbers in streams, subscriptions and revenue, Ghana’s presence on the platform remains minimal, with only a handful of producers attracting modest viewership and earnings.

Actress and producer Xandy Kamel, who has been steadily producing movies for YouTube, believes she knows exactly why Ghana’s film industry has yet to thrive on the platform.

Xandy Kamel did not mince words as she blamed greed and lack of support from within the industry as major stumbling blocks.

According to her, many Ghanaian actors and industry professionals are reluctant to support YouTube productions, often making it difficult for producers to even assemble a cast.

She lamented that local actors sometimes quote exorbitant and unreasonable fees, creating unnecessary barriers for filmmakers trying to work within the typically tight budgets of YouTube productions.

“Making movies for YouTube is really difficult in Ghana because even industry persons are not willing to support. If you approach someone to even join your cast, the amount they quote is so huge that you end up questioning how much you are even going to make after putting all the production costs into consideration.

“When I decided to work on my recent movie, Unseen Beauty, my own people were not supportive. They asked for the script when I approached them. After going through it, they quoted huge amounts as their charges.

“If our own people continue like this, how are we going to gain traction on YouTube when it’s now the main route our counterparts elsewhere are taking to grow their industry?” she questioned.

The actress stressed that Ghana’s film industry must take a cue from Nollywood, where collaboration is a driving force behind its YouTube success.

“We need to borrow a page from Nollywood’s book. One key lesson is the power of collaboration. When our producers, directors and other stakeholders come together, pool resources and work towards creating bigger, higher-quality productions, that’s when we’ll start to see real growth and recognition.

“By adopting this approach, I’m confident we can elevate our industry to new heights. It’s time for us to stop working in silos and start building something greater together. With collective effort and a shared vision, I believe Ghana’s film industry can achieve significant strides and gain the popularity it deserves,” she said.

Xandy Kamel’s latest YouTube project, Unseen Beauty, is currently streaming, with over 100,000 views.

Source: Graphic.com.gh

Updated Monetisation Standards

In a statement on its official support page, YouTube said:
“To monetise under the YouTube Partner Program, creators must upload original and authentic content. Beginning July 15, 2025, we are updating our guidelines to better identify mass-produced and repetitive content. This update reflects what inauthentic content looks like today.”

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for monetisation, channels must still meet existing eligibility criteria:

• At least 1,000 subscribers

• Either 4,000 valid public watch hours in the past 12 months or 10 million valid Shorts views in the last 90 days

What Counts as ‘Repetitive’ or ‘Mass-Produced’

YouTube outlined two key rules to determine whether content is unfit for monetisation:

1. Content taken from other sources must be significantly transformed to be considered original.

2. Repetitive content must serve a clear purpose — it should be either entertaining or educational, not just created to gain views.

This policy is also expected to affect clickbait, templated videos, and AI-generated content, particularly those using robotic voices or lightly edited versions of others’ work.

Uncertainty Around Enforcement

YouTube has not specified penalties for violating the new rules. There is no mention of suspensions, strikes, or demonetisation in the updated terms. However, the company says the changes are meant to align monetisation rules with evolving content trends and prevent abuse of the system.

While YouTube hasn’t confirmed whether AI-assisted content will fall under these stricter guidelines, the update suggests greater scrutiny of such formats.

Recent Policy Shifts

This update follows YouTube’s recent decision to ban users under 16 from livestreaming without adult supervision.

Insider Gaming has contacted YouTube for further clarification and will provide updates when a response is received.

The Portugal international uploaded 19 videos on his ‘UR Cristiano’ channel that features content of himself and his family.

“The wait is over. My @YouTube channel is finally here! SIUUUbscribe and join me on this new journey,” Ronaldo posted on Instagram.

It was an immediate hit as within 90 minutes, the Al Nassr forward had broken the world record for becoming the fastest channel to hit one million subscribers. He now has 15.4m and counting.

Ronaldo, 39, posted a video on Instagram showing his children a gold “play button” plaque that was given to him from YouTube for surpassing the one million subscribers.

He wrote: “A present for my family ❤️ Thank you to all the SIUUUbscribers!”

While Ronaldo quickly surpassed the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner and Argentina captain Lionel Messi’s subscriber count of 2.31m, he still has a long way to reach Mr. Beast, the top-subscribed YouTuber on the platform with 331m.

It’s not the first the former Real Madrid and Manchester United start has set records on social media.

Ronaldo has 170m followers on Facebook, 112.6m on X and a whopping 636m on Instagram.

Susan Wojcicki, the former boss of YouTube and one of Google’s earliest employees, has died aged 56.

Google’s chief executive Sundar Pichai announced that Ms Wojcicki had passed away after two years of living with lung cancer.

Mr Pichai, who is also the boss of Google’s parent company Alphabet, said on X/Twitter he was “unbelievably saddened” and Ms Wojcicki was “as core to the history of Google as anyone”.

Once described as the “most important Googler you’ve never heard of”, Ms Wojcicki was present at the company’s beginnings when, in 1998, she rented out her Menlo Park garage to the search engine firm’s founders, Sergey Brin and Larry Page.

He emphasized that both local and international companies operating online generate substantial revenue from Ghanaian consumers, highlighting the need for a more inclusive tax system.

During an interview on Channel One TV, Dr. Ampaabeng identified various untapped revenue sources for Ghana, including online businesses and content creation companies.

He raised concerns about the current tax landscape, questioning why traditional national companies are taxed while major social media platforms like YouTube and Facebook, which host numerous advertisements and profit from Ghanaian users, are not subject to local taxes.

Dr. Ampaabeng argued that these platforms earn significant profits through the adverts they display and that online trading companies also generate substantial income from their sales and services.

He cited examples such as Jiji, Jumia, and Tonaton, which he claimed have a greater market presence than all physical marketplaces in Ghana combined.

“I can’t think of a country which has not gotten a digital service tax system of some sort, so Ghana is long overdue. Just to make an example so that people will appreciate where I’m coming from. Go to Youtube and play a video, within one or two minutes, you are going to watch about two, or three adverts.

“What it tells you is that Facebook or Youtube is making profits right here in Ghana. Go to your Facebook account, and you are going to see a number of adverts on your right, left. What it is telling you is that Facebook is making profits right here in Ghana and not being taxed. Meanwhile, there are companies operating in Ghana, for jurisdiction reasons, of course, that are being taxed.

“So then, it comes to the question of the application of our tax laws. Revenues generated in Ghana are subject to taxes. We have Facebook, TikTok and all those players, these are digital platform owners,” Dr. Ampaabeng stated.

He stressed the importance of taxing not only these digital giants but also individuals and companies conducting online transactions in Ghana, noting the significant volume of such activities.

He expressed his hope for a future where all forms of profits earned from Ghanaian residents, especially through online means, are taxed.

The Deputy Finance Minister also mentioned ongoing discussions about this issue and emphasized the need for a comprehensive tax framework that includes online trading activities.

In addition, he proposed a collaborative approach with the government to combat cybercrime by registering and verifying online trading companies.

He suggested implementing a system where operators would submit their Ghana Card for registration and verification to ensure compliance and enhance security.

“There are conversations ongoing, I wouldn’t want to pre-empt anything, maybe in the future, it might not be anytime soon, what I would like to see, is a Ghana where people who are earning all forms of profits in the country are subject to taxes. People who are trading online to Ghanaian residents, people who are generating revenue from Ghana are allowed to pay taxes,” he noted.

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Here are the top ten Ghanaian songs currently trending in May 2024 curated by Adomonline.com

1. Team Eternity Ghana – Defe Defe led by Naana Asiedu

With over 505K views in just 12 days, Team Eternity Ghana is captivating audiences with its powerful message.

The Ghanaian gospel music group has assumed the No. 1 position on Apple Music Top 100: Ghana and also YouTube, with its song ‘Defe Defe’.

This song is taken off the group’s sophomore album ‘Testimony’.

2. Sarkodie – Brag (Lyrics Video)

Sarkodie’s lyrical prowess shines in this video, with 338K views in just 6 days. He has stirred up battles among rappers on the African continent with this Brag song.

3. Lyrical Joe – 1960

This track by rapper Lyrical Joe has gained 102K views in 4 days, showcasing his unique rap style and wordplay.

His version of Sarkodie’s Brag was aimed at Davido’s signee Dremo, and he was lauded for commencing the lyrical rebuttal on behalf of Sarkodie.

4. Kofi Kinaata – Auntie Ama 

Kofi Kinaata’s catchy tune off his Kofi oo Kofi EP has garnered 117K views in 6 days, Auntie Ama is proving to be fans’ favourite.

5. King Paluta – ASEDA

King Paluta’s gratitude-themed song Aseda has amassed 225K views in just 7 days, resonating with listeners and music fans alike.

6. Kofi Kinaata – Saman 

With 76K views in 6 days, Kofi Kinaata’s Saman off his Kofi oo Kofi EP continues to gain popularity among fans.

7. Kofi Kinaata – Abonsam

Another hit from Kofi Kinaata’s Kofi oo Kofi album, ‘Abonsam’ has received 87K views in 6 days, showcasing the Takoradi based artiste’s versatility and lyrical abilities.

8. Beeztrap KOTM – Fly Girl (Remix) feat. Gyakie & Oseikrom Sikanii (Visualizer)

This remix of Beeztrap KOTM’s Fly Girl has captured the attention of fans with 138K views in 2 weeks. It features Gyakie and Oseikrom Sikanii and its just a visualizer. An official video might be in the pipeline.

9. Shatta Wale – Rise Like Dollar 

Shatta Movement boss, Shatta Wale’s latest video, Rise Like Dollar, has garnered 149K views in 9 days, demonstrating his continued popularity.

10. Amerado – Tin Ton Tan (Visualizer)

Amerado’s Tin Ton Tan visualizer has amassed 383K views in 2 weeks, showcasing his growing fan base.

These songs represent the diversity and talent within the Ghanaian music industry, attracting listeners from all over the world.

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This viral sensation showcases the comedic genius of Dr Likee, portraying a hilarious bodyguard hailing all the way from China.

The mere sight of his attire is enough to send even the sternest individuals into fits of laughter.

In Dr Likee’s latest side-splitting skit on YouTube, he enlists the assistance of a young man bearing an uncanny resemblance to the acclaimed rapper Strongman.

This doppelgänger assumes the role of a prosperous musician in dire need of the services of a bodyguard.

Adding to the mirthful narrative, Vanessa Nicole, Funny Face’s baby mama, makes a notable appearance in the short film.

Portraying one of Strongman’s numerous girlfriends, she vehemently expresses her disdain for Ras Nene, the comical bodyguard.

During an interview with Kwaku Manu, Vanessa Nicole divulged her aspirations to make a comeback in the acting realm.

She emphasized that her children have reached an age where she can wholeheartedly devote herself to her career once again.

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Tanner Cook,21, said he was playing jokes against suspect Alan Colie,31, for another video when he suddenly pulled out his gun.

“I was playing a prank and a simple practical joke, and this guy didn’t take it very well,” he explained to WUSA9 from his hospital bed.

His friend was recording the altercation when Colie pulled out his gun and now the footage is a part of evidence for the case. Cook said Colie didn’t say anything to him before pulling out the gun.

Cook’s father, Jeremy Cook, expressed a similar sentiment and claimed Colie “wasn’t having fun” while his son was filming with other mall goers.

“They were making a video at the mall and trying to have fun with people and this guy wasn’t having fun. There was a phone that was around him, and they were interviewing or talking to him,” he explained.

Tanner was critically wounded after the shooting and investigators said the bullet entered through his stomach and liver. He underwent surgery and is expected to recover.

Additionally, he plans to continue filming videos for his YouTube channel, Classified Goons. The channel currently has 397,000 subscribers on the platform.

The outlet said the mall reopened on Monday after it was shut down for an entire day due to the shooting.

Social media is divided on the shooting as some believe prank videos have gone too far with invading an individual’s privacy.

The opinions regarding the shooting have been divided as some people believe prank and interview videos sometimes push the boundaries when it comes to privacy.

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Roskomnadzor, Russia’s media regulator, said on Sunday that it wrote a letter to Alphabet Inc., Google and YouTube’s parent company, seeking the removal of all restrictions imposed on state media outlets such as RBC, TV Zvezda and Sputnik.

YouTube blocked access to state-run media channels on Saturday at the request of the Ukrainian government, which Ukraine Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov confirmed on Twitter early Saturday morning local time. 

‘We intend to help Russians and the world to know the truth. I’ve contacted @YouTube to block the propagandist Russian channels — such as Russia 24, TASS, RIA Novosti. If they are afraid of speaking the truth, so we should stop this flow of poisonous lies,’ his tweet read.

‘In response to a government request, we’ve restricted access to RT and a number of other channels in Ukraine. We will continue to monitor new developments and may take further actions,’ A YouTube spokesperson told Axios on Saturday.

The spokesperson said YouTube was also ‘pausing a number of channels’ ability to monetize on YouTube, including several Russian channels affiliated with recent sanctions’ because of ‘extraordinary circumstances in Ukraine.’

The YouTube spokesperson also said the company would be ‘significantly limiting recommendations to these channels.’ 

Earlier on Saturday, Google announced that it was blocking Russian state media channels from selling ads, just hours after YouTube, which is owned by Google, said it was blocking Russian state media channels from selling ads on YouTube globally or being accessible in Ukraine.

Following another request from the Ukrainian government, Google also removed Russia’s state-run television network RT, formerly known as Russia Today, from its Google Play Store in Ukraine.

YouTube has removed hundreds of channels and thousands of videos over the past few days that violated its policies by engaging in ‘coordinated deception,’ CNN reported.

Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner also put pressure on YouTube Friday, writing a letter saying that his staff was able to see RT monetize on the platform. 

Warner said that he alerted the Departments of Justice and Treasury to report that the platform had allowed sanctioned entities to monetize, CNN reported. 

Alphabet isn’t the only big tech company to infuriate Russian despot Vladimir Putin, as Meta said that it was banning Russian state media from running ads or monetizing content on Facebook.

Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook’s head of security policy, announced the ban Saturday on Twitter, writing: ‘We are now prohibiting Russian state media from running ads or monetizing on our platform anywhere in the world.

‘We also continue to apply labels to additional Russian state media. These changes have already begun rolling out and will continue into the weekend.’

Putin ordered a ‘partial’ block on Facebook on Friday, with Kremlin officials claiming it was a response to the tech giant’s ‘censorship’ of its state media.

The EU has also taken actions against Russian state media and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a press conference Sunday that RT would be banned in the EU.

‘We will ban the Kremlin’s media machine in the EU. The state-owned Russia Today and Sputnik, and their subsidiaries, will no longer be able to spread their lies to justify Putin’s war,’ she said.

‘We are developing tools to ban their toxic and harmful disinformation in Europe,’ she added, though did not provide further details. 

Russia’s media regulator has been cracking down on the country’s own outlets, ordering media to remove reports describing the Kremlin’s attack as an ‘assault, invasion or declaration of war’, or face being blocked and fined.

In a statement, Roskomnadzor accused several independent media outlets including television channel Dozhd and the country’s top independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta of spreading ‘unreliable socially significant untrue information’ about the shelling of Ukrainian cities by the Russian army and civilian deaths.

Citing a request from the General Prosecutor’s Office, the communications regulator said the media outlets that also include Echo of Moscow radio will be blocked unless they remove the ‘unreliable information’.

‘Roskomnadzor also launched an administrative investigation into the dissemination of unreliable publicly significant information by the above-mentioned media,’ the watchdog said. The offence is punishable by a fine of up to 5 million rubles ($60,000), it said.

‘We are developing tools to ban their toxic and harmful disinformation in Europe,’ she added, though did not provide further details. 

Russia’s media regulator has been cracking down on the country’s own outlets, ordering media to remove reports describing the Kremlin’s attack as an ‘assault, invasion or declaration of war’, or face being blocked and fined.

In a statement, Roskomnadzor accused several independent media outlets including television channel Dozhd and the country’s top independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta of spreading ‘unreliable socially significant untrue information’ about the shelling of Ukrainian cities by the Russian army and civilian deaths.

Citing a request from the General Prosecutor’s Office, the communications regulator said the media outlets that also include Echo of Moscow radio will be blocked unless they remove the ‘unreliable information’.

‘Roskomnadzor also launched an administrative investigation into the dissemination of unreliable publicly significant information by the above-mentioned media,’ the watchdog said. The offence is punishable by a fine of up to 5 million rubles ($60,000), it said.

The video released on Friday, February 18, saw Black Sherif manoeuvre through a slum while being chased by some gang.

Although he was caught and beaten up, Burna Boy came in riding through the neighbourhood in a convoy with his men to save him.

The video, in less than 72 hours, has garnered over 700,000 views.

‘Second Sermon’ was one of Black Sherif’s biggest hits in 2021, The song’s popularity resulted in this remix with Burna Boy.

The song, which shone some light on the shackles of street life, drew more people to the artiste, with many wanting to know and see more of him and his talent.

Over the past few weeks to date, these are the top music videos making waves on the video-streaming platform – as at the time of this publication by Adomonline.com:

Check out the top 15 videos below:

Fancy Gadam tops the list with his Nobody song. The song is one of the many hit singles on his yet-to-be-released studio EP, titled ‘One Don.’

Nobody is a love song in which the singer is heard trying to secure his lady from falling in love with another man. It was produced by Dr Fiza while the video was shot by Joe Gameli.

Darkovibes teamed up with Davido on a new song dubbed Je M’appelle. The music video themed on the rich Ghanaian culture has garnered half a million views since it made a debut on the channel.

Captain Planet released his Abodie video two weeks ago which had Rockstar Kuami Eugene featured.

MzVee‘s ‘Coming Home’, which features Nigeria’s superstar, Tiwa Savage, highlights the processes involved in settling down with a partner within the African setting.

The song rides on a beautifully crafted melodic Afrobeats rhythm aiding the two female voices to appreciate the perfectly written lyrics.

The song, which was sung in both Pidgin and English, was produced by Kizzy Beats and visuals directed by Andy Madjitey.

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Onto the drill scene, rapper Okese1 features Jay Van on Y3 Wo Lyy. The song is steadily climbing up the charts since its release four days ago.

Rapper Amerado teams up with Kweku Flick & YPee on ‘Sika Besu’… The music video directed by Gordon Appiah has more than 40k views since it was released on October 8, 2021.

Gospel musician Diana Hamilton continues to break barriers in the secular world with her gospel songs. Her new one AWURADE YE which was produced by David Kyei (Kaywa) has indeed come to stay.

Kwesi Arthur steps into the trends with his latest John Wick freestyle. The rapper depicts himself as one who cannot be taken down easily as he has more hit songs coming.

Anyone who has watched the John Wick movie could easily decipher Kwesi Arthur’s reason for titling the song as such.

Okyeame Kwame tells his true love story in his latest song with Adina dubbed Love Locked Down. Following the success of the Love Locked Down book written by the Rap Dacta himself, he further promotes it with beautiful visuals for a good touch.

Shatta Movement boss, Shatta Wale comes through his militants Ara B and Captan on a new song titled Thugs. The music video was directed by Double Dutch Studios.

Patapaa, undoubtedly, is trending together with Wendy Shay on a new highlife jam dubbed Haters. The song featuring budding singer Twicy was produced by Beatz Fada.

Still on Wendy Shay, the Rufftown Records singer is currently trending after she made controversial wordplays in her new Heat song. The song talks about the hardships in the economy currently.

Rapper Edem took it to Volta this time to feature up-and-coming rappers on his new Woss jam. The song has Kay Stun, Andre Marrs, Squyb, Adjavi Jose and Keeny Ice featured. The colourful drill song is garnering numbers by the day.

One of the rappers who deserve most of the attention in Ghana’s music industry is Tulenkey. He is part of the trend with his new Composure featuring Kofi Mole.

Highlife singer Akwaboah ends the list with Ntro Naa, the second single released off his highly anticipated Lighthouse album. The visuals of this song are apt and very up to standard.

“We have terminated two channels linked to R. Kelly in accordance with our creator responsibility guidelines,” a YouTube spokesperson told AFP in a statement.

The ‘I Believe I Can Fly’ singer, who for years reigned over the world of R&B, still has music available on YouTube music, where 137,000 people subscribe to the disgraced star, and third-party uploads of his songs are still allowed.

The removal follows years of protest from the #MuteRKelly movement.

Long before the singer was indicted in four separate jurisdictions, there’s been calls to ban his music over long-standing abuse allegations.

His catalogue is still available on major platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.

Kelly, 54, was found guilty in September of nine criminal counts, including the most serious of racketeering, following six weeks of disturbing testimony accusing him of systematically recruiting women and teenagers for sex, before grooming and brutally abusing them.

He is currently incarcerated and faces up to life in prison, with his sentencing hearing scheduled for May 4.

Kelly is also slated for prosecution in three other jurisdictions, including Illinois federal court.

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Taking to Twitter to register his assertion, Sadiq Abdulai Abu said:

We woke up to a message from @TeamYouTube suspending our channel which has been growing exponentially within the past few days.

We are working to regain control of the sign. Help us tweet at @teamyoutube to enable them release the channel for some more beautiful content from us, he said.

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The 2021 edition of the show has received blessings from industry players and Ghanaians who believe it raised the bar per award schemes in the country.

Check the original tweet below:

The new policy will begin from as early as June 2021, the Google-owned company said in an email to creators.

YouTube has also asked creators to submit their tax information in AdSense “to determine the correct amount of taxes to deduct.”

The changes apply to all creators outside of the US, including the ones in India. However, there won’t be any similar tax deduction for creators living in the US.

In a support page, YouTube said that its parent company Google has the responsibility under Chapter 3 of the US Internal Revenue Code to collect tax information, withhold taxes, and report to the Internal Revenue Service when a creator earned royalty revenue from viewers in the US.

This has resulted in the implementation of the new tax requirements for YouTube earnings.

“If any tax deductions apply, Google will withhold taxes on YouTube earnings from viewers in the US from ad views, YouTube Premium, Super Chat, Super Stickers, and Channel Memberships,” the company said in its support page.

YouTube has informed creators about the update and has asked them to provide their tax information in their AdSense account as early as possible.

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If a creator isn’t able to provide the information by May 31, the company said that it might need to deduct up to 24 percent of their total earnings worldwide.

However, if a creator has provided their tax information, there will be a withholding between 0–30 percent on the earnings they generate from viewers in the US.

The withholding rates notably depend on whether the country of the creator has a tax treaty relationship with the US. This means that there will be variation in the deduction of taxes for creators in different countries.

Specifically for India, the withholding rate is set at 15 percent of the total earnings a creator gets from viewers in the US.

YouTube has created a video to explain the change and help creators provide their tax information. The company has also tweeted the new rules through its local social media channels.

Many creators are criticising YouTube for the tax deductions planned — given the fact that the company already takes a cut of revenue from the ads it serves on the platform.

The change is also believed to largely affect small creators who don’t have millions of subscribers to attract sponsors for native advertisements.

When reached out to for a response on the criticism from creators, a YouTube spokesperson told Gadgets 360 that the changes are aligned with the US tax law.

“Under US tax law, Google is required to withhold taxes when non-US creators earn income from viewers in the US. We are asking creators to submit relevant tax information to determine whether any US withholding taxes apply and where applicable, we will withhold US taxes from creators’ earnings beginning later this year,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

YouTube offers monetisation to creators under the YouTube Partner Programme that requires creator accounts to have at least 4,000 public watch hours in the last 12 months and over 1,000 subscribers.

However, last year, the company updated its terms of service to make way for running ads on videos created by small creators who aren’t a part of the YouTube Partner Programme and aren’t generating any direct earnings from the platform.

That move also invoked some anger among creators who weren’t generating any Google AdSense revenues.

The music video got unpublished after YouTube reportedly said it had the same chord progression as South African Hitmaker, Master KG’s Jerusalema song.

Indeed, she disclosed that her lawyers were working on the matter and truly, she has won the dispute, she revealed in a Facebook live video.

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She used the Instagram medium to thank her followers for being patient, adding that, media houses and bloggers who broke the news should equally update their followers.

SHAYGANG we won…yes we move ! SG ur Queen never stole any song oo …Pray for the world is back on YouTube and all digital platforms.

Please all the BLOGGERS who posted it when it was taken down kindly let the world know it is back on YouTube. Let’s push positive news too. Thank you ?? Ghana Stand Up! She posted.

Watch the music video below:

The music video dubbed Pray for the World got unpublished after YouTube reportedly said it had the same chord progression as the hit song Jerusalema.

Giving an update on the matter, the ‘Uber Driver’ hitmaker said lawyers of her music label, Rufftown Records, are trying to restore the video back on the global streaming platform.

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This is the country we are living in ooo … I will fight for my right because ‘Pray for the World’ has a different chord progression from Jerusalema.

SHAYGANG don’t worry my lawyers are dealing with YouTube #prayfortheworld??, she wrote.

Read original post below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Queen Shay ? (@wendyshayofficial)

Poyoo, who started off as a comic artiste, grabbed his first-ever plaque from international platform Youtube.

The silver and glass tablet was presented for successfully passing 100,000 subscribers on the platform.

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To celebrate his achievement, the ‘Goat’ hitmaker has rocked a blonde-dyed ‘superstar’ haircut.

Meanwhile, he has also received accolades by music store, Spotify, for his widely streamed songs in over 75 countries.

In a new list compiled by the music organization to announce the most-watched homegrown artists across Africa from Afrobeats to other genres in 11 African countries based on a year of local YouTube views, the Mo Ne Yo hitmaker emerged fourth most patronized digital act in Ghana.

In Ghana, Shatta Wale topped the list.

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The Already hitmaker topped the charts with 13.26 million views, followed by BET’s Best International Flow rapper, Sarkodie with 11.72 million views, leaving Stonebwoy with third position with 7.86 million views.

Gospel musician Diana Hamilton came fourth, garnering 6.42 million views ahead of Highlife singer Kofi Kinaata who came last on the list for Ghana with 4.63 million views.

His latest hit song ‘Eat’, which features Stonebwoy, was reportedly blocked after an anonymous artiste reported the duplication to the real owner.

The song is a cover of Empire’s Rotimi, which he titled ‘Love Riddim’ and has enjoyed massive airplay both in Africa and abroad.

Rotimi upon receiving the hint reported the development to YouTube which immediately pulled down the song from its site.

“This video contains content from EMPIRE, who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds,” was displayed on the video which featured video vixen Keila.

To avert embarrassment, Mr Drew quickly admitted that his song is a cover of Rotimi’s original.

‘Eat’, which was released some weeks ago, successfully garnered over 150,000 views on YouTube before being pulled down.

The Dancehall act hinted the concert will come off on the 4th of April, 2020 inside his residence at East Legon.

Making the announcement on his official Twitter page, Shatta Wale revealed the concert is part of efforts to restore hope to his fans in these trying times.

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To him, his first ever digital concert will bring smiles to the faces of his ‘army’ as they contribute their quota to the fight against coronavirus.

To partake in the concert, all that is required is to follow him on all social media platforms and also subscribe to his YouTube channel.

Key players

Jemel Akeem – defender and YouTuber, age 25
Strong, fast, tall, athletic player.
Joined: three months ago, via the Academy series
Jack Harrison – midfielder and insurance underwriter, age 32
Workman, warrior, very good with both feet
Joined: at the start
Ryan Adams – striker and carpenter, age 26
Very fast – and the team’s second top goalscorer
Joined: at the start.

“It’ll be hugely important for them to stay real – in other words stay true to their roots and not end up in the elite player position of being spoilt by money,” said Sue Llewellyn.
“They will also need to be agile in such a fast-moving space, keep innovating and finding new ways to engage their fans.”
That said, social media and sport are a natural partnership, she adds.
“Sports fans are passionate about their game. It’s a basic human need to belong and to want to feel we matter.
“Being part of a digital tribe fulfils that need and it brings people together wherever they are in the world and whatever physical skill level they have.”

The South Korean megahit had been the site’s most-played clip for the last five years.
The surreal video became so popular that it “broke” YouTube’s play counter, exceeding the maximum possible number of views (2,147,483,647), and forcing the company to rewrite its code.
But the song has now been overtaken by another music video – Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth’s See You Again.
The heart-wrenching ballad has now been streamed 2,895,373,709 times; beating Psy’s current count of 2,894,426,475 views.
Adding it up, that means See You Again has been streamed for a total of 21,759 years. If one person was to listen to each of those streams consecutively, they’d have to have started during the glacial peak of the last Ice Age.
The song was written for the action movie Furious 7, playing over the closing credits in tribute to the actor Paul Walker, who died in a car accident before the film was completed.
With its unabashedly sentimental lyrics (“it’s been a long day without you my friend/ And I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again”), See You Again has become one of the most regularly-requested pop songs at funerals in the UK.
It was the best-selling song worldwide in 2015, and received best song nominations at both the Grammys and the Oscars.
The music video features the final scene of Furious 7, in which the two main characters Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and Brian O’Conner (Cody Walker, filling in for his brother, Paul), drive side-by-side, sharing a smile for the last time before they pull onto separate roads and drive into the sunset.
As the camera pans up into the sky, a title card reads “For Paul” and the video ends.
The video reached 1 billion views in six months, and hit 2 billion last September. However, its reign as YouTube’s most-watched clip may be short-lived.
Luis Fonsi’s summer smash Despacito has racked up 2.5 billion views in just six months, and it shows no signs of slowing down.
The Puerto Rican song – sung in a mixture of Spanish and English – has been number one in the UK for the last eight weeks, thanks in part to a remix featuring Justin Bieber.
Whoever takes the title, though, its good news for Universal Music, which owns all of the songs.
Meanwhile, 47 of the top 50 clips on YouTube are music videos, proving the importance of the streaming site to the music industry – despite the fact the two sides are locked in a battle over royalty payments.