See a video on YouTube that makes you happy? Add #GlobalOdeToJoy in the comments section so we can add it to the playlist. You can also share it on your socials using #GlobalOdeToJoy.
Even if you don’t make a video, you can still share joy. If you see a video that makes you happy, share it using #GlobalOdeToJoy. We also have a bunch of graphics and videos you can share to let your friends know about the project.
Add your voice to the project by joining the Stay at Home Choir. Join singers and musicians from around the world to record the soundtrack of the #GlobalOdeToJoy finale! Sign up here.
The Global Ode to Joy is an international video project celebrating Beethoven’s 250th anniversary, supported by YouTube, Google Arts and Culture, and BTHVN2020, Germany’s official Beethoven anniversary campaign. Beethoven saw his Ninth Symphony and its famous Ode to Joy chorus as a journey from despair to joy. Join artists, orchestras, and people around the world in a Global Ode to Joy by making and sharing a video that inspires joy! This project is part of Google Arts & Culture’s broader activation for the Beethoven Anniversary year, launching in November.
Because this year has been difficult and it’s important to share moments of joy whenever we can.
In December 2020, we mark the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth. With concert halls dark and performances canceled, the big celebratory concerts we expected are gone. And yet, we need his music — and message of unity and joy — more than ever.
The Global Ode to Joy asks us to choose joy and share it with the world. With the help of our global partners, international artists, and you, we are collecting and sharing as many joy-filled videos as possible from now until Beethoven’s birthday in December.
The best videos will be featured on Google Arts & Culture’s YouTube channel and in a grand finale video that will set the videos' most joyful moments to Beethoven’s Ode to Joy chorus, with new lyrics from Pulitzer Prize–winning poet Tracy K. Smith.
Whether it’s making a video, sharing someone else’s, or getting joy from the project, everyone can participate!
The main way to join is to make a video (or share a video you’ve already shot) that shows how we bring each other joy and upload it to YouTube using #GlobalOdeToJoy. You can also tag and share other people’s videos that make you happy with the hashtag. Learn more here.
Your video should answer the question “How do we bring joy to each other?” It can take many shapes — a birthday surprise, a street-corner concert, a tribute to healthcare workers, a dance routine, etc. It could capture just one moment or event or be a full story. The video should be filmed in landscape (horizontal) and follow YouTube’s community guidelines. Otherwise the length, sound, and style are up to you!
There is no minimum length, but the ideal video is between 30 and 90 seconds.
The video should be filmed in landscape mode (horizontal, 16:9) and follow YouTube’s community guidelines. Otherwise the sound and style are up to you!
Please visit this page to learn more about the general Terms & Conditions.
We’d like to encourage you to read our FAQs first for useful information before reaching out to us. If you still have questions after doing so, please contact us via this . Our Support Team will be happy to help.
Yes! You can find everything in our Tool Kit.
#GlobalOdeToJoy
The Google Arts & Culture YouTube channel will feature the best videos created or tagged as a part of the project. You can follow along here. To see everything that has been created, follow #GlobalOdeToJoy on YouTube!
This project was originally conceived by visionary American conductor Marin Alsop. Her initial idea for the Global Ode to Joy was a series of concerts on six continents. When COVID-19 made that impossible, the project was reimagined as a digital project with the support of New York-based consultants 21C Media Group, YouTube, Google Arts & Culture, original partner Carnegie Hall, and new partners around the world.
To create a YouTube channel, you must be at least 13 years old .
Yes, we invite anyone to participate in this contest and are looking for diverse approaches to joy, whether it’s a raw, spontaneous phone video or a slickly produced narrative! The only thing that matters is that it captures and inspires joy.
While anyone can upload a video using #GlobalOdeToJoy and be a part of the movement, only those who have registered their videos with us will be eligible for the official Global Ode to Joy videos, including the Finale. Learn how to register here.
December 1, 2020.
We encourage you to be creative in your filming, but ask that you follow the YouTube Community Guidelines.
Yes!
To participate in the project you will need to upload your video to a personal YouTube channel using #GlobalOdeToJoy. That’s how we will find your submission! If you’d like your video(s) to be eligible for inclusion in an official Global Ode to Joy video (including the Finale), then you will need to register and share the link to your video by December 1, 2020. Register here.
If you don’t already have a channel, the first step is to get one. Learn how here.
If you already have a channel, you’ll need to login to YouTube Creator Studio. In the top right corner, click CREATE > Upload video. Then choose the video you want to upload. Fill in all of the information requested and don’t forget to add #GlobalOdeToJoy! More details here.
Videos uploaded using #GlobalOdeToJoy will automatically be eligible for the official playlist on Google Arts & Culture and sharing on the GOTJ social channels.
If you’ve registered to be considered for inclusion in official project videos, your video may also be featured in one of our highlight videos and/or the grand finale! Learn more about registering.
Use #GlobalOdeToJoy in any video upload or post you make. You can also use these platform specific tags when posting to social media other than YouTube.
Please follow any government guidelines for social distancing, travel, and face covering. Do not put yourself or others at risk.
YES! You do need permission to include other people in your video. Make sure to take an Appearance Release Form with you on filming day. A parent or legal guardian will also need to sign this kind of form if you film anyone who is a child/under the age of majority in your country.
You generally only need to get permission from those people who have a prominent role, who talk to camera, or who are being interviewed or featured in your video in a significant way (e.g., zooming in for a close-up on someone doing something, even if they are strangers to you). Mostly, you will not need permission from people passing in the background of a scene, as long as the images you take of people aren’t offensive, don't invade anyone's privacy, and are not significant features of your video. But this is not the case in every country. Please note that we can’t give legal advice and we recommend checking local restrictions. Also, to be on the safe side, get people to sign an Appearance Release Form.
No. Only videos that have been registered with us will be considered for inclusion in official Global Ode to Joy videos, and of these, only select footage will be chosen by our director.
The director will decide which videos will be selected for the official videos based on how well each video captures joy.
There is no financial compensation for participation in Global Ode To Joy. Participation in the project is voluntary.
Any information you provide for the purposes of Global Ode To Joy (e.g., contact details for us to communicate with you) will be strictly protected and used only by 21C in relation to this project.
The Finale is intended to premiere in early December 2020 on the Google Arts & Culture YouTube channel. We’ll keep you updated on the exact date of the premiere on the Global Ode to Joy website.
Leading up to that date we will be sharing our favorite videos on the Global Ode to Joy Playlist on the Google Arts & Culture YouTube channel, so be sure to follow along on the journey!
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