One decade ago – April 23, 2005 – the 19-second “Me at the zoo” became the first video uploaded to  YouTube. Ten years later, YouTube videos are viewed billions of times every day.

The website is now moving beyond providing a video distribution platform for its users and has created physical, professional-quality studios where independent filmmakers can receive training and create.

Former English teacher David Macdonald, who now leads YouTube Spaces in the Asia Pacific region, said that his employer’s website is no longer “only cats and dogs on skateboards” but a place for “great high quality content.” His space in Tokyo is one of five around the world that are available to YouTube partners for no charge. YouTube Partners are video creators who share advertising revenue with the website.

In the egalitarian spirit of the overall Internet, anyone can upload a video to YouTube or create their own channel. The quality of the website’s 300 hours per minute of uploads varies tremendously and many are not exactly polished. YouTube wants to see better quality productions. In one of its biggest markets, Tokyo, YouTube is encouraging the creation of more Jidaigeki, or samurai drams, all with the goal of attracting new viewers and thus more revenue from advertisers.

The most popular content creator on YouTube is PewDiePie, a 25-year-old gamer from Sweden, who has over 36 million subscribers. Some PewDiePie videos see more viewers than popular television programs.

Money from ad revenue can be significant for content creators. YouTube creators who earn six-figure U.S. Dollar incomes number in the thousands and some actually have earnings in the millions.