Not what you may think

I made the point some weeks ago that while people, especially Generation Y, will tell you they won’t pay for content they can get free, they’re wrong — and now there’s data to prove it.

The most popular video clips on YouTube are not the ones generated by bored teens and 20-somethings, young Mozarts and Spielbergs creating works of genius.

Nope, the most popular clips, by a 3-to-1 margin, are videos created by professionals, whether original or pirated from other media, according to Peter Kafka in Media Memo.

All of which reinforces the post from earlier this week that if you own premium content, you are in the driver’s seat, no matter how that content is distributed.

Many more people are gladly willing to pay $10 to see a Steven Spielberg movie than they are to see a movie I shoot with my zany neighbors, even if it’s free and I provide the popcorn.

And that will never, ever change.