To kick off the 2011 graduation season in the United States, we featured some inspiring commencement speeches available on YouTube. Since then, many new addresses have been uploaded, including Amy Poehler's speech at Harvard Class Day, Denzel Washington's address at the University of Pennsylvania, and First Lady Michelle Obama's ) Part 1 and Part 2 ( at Spellman College. While you can spend hours watching these and other addresses on YouTube,

What's happening on youtube.com/music? If you're a fan of one of indie rock's most influential bands, a lot. Check out our picks for what's happening in music this week. Death Cab for Cutie curation Death Cab for Cutie's intelligent, heart-restrained-by-head songs have always vibrated with barely-contained desire. They're also innovative video-makers - earlier this year they released a pretty stunning one-take video for "You Are A Tourist.

Across the country, students are throwing on caps and gowns and marching across graduation stages to collect well-deserved diplomas. As important to a graduation ceremony as "Pomp and Circumstance" , commencement addresses have become a central component of the big day. From celebrities to humanitarians to heads of state, colleges and universities are putting a big focus on speakers that will inspire and entertain those gathered for the occasion. Before online video,

Each weekday, we at YouTube Trends take a look at the most interesting videos and cultural phenomena on YouTube as they develop. We want take a moment to highlight some of what we've come across this week: We learned that those cool, edited-a cappella videos have spread to the Middle East . We saw a "trophy dropping" trend continue with this popular clip from the Netherlands . We asked what the "What's Trending staff" was watching now that "PSN is back .

Cross posted from the Official YouTube Japan Blog We in the Tokyo office just opened " YouTube Business Support Channel " to assist businesses in areas of Eastern Japan affected by the recent earthquake and tsunami. We wanted to let everyone know that many businesses in Eastern Japan are rebuilding and operating once again.

This week on youtube.com/music , we're thinking about film and music. The two art forms have a love affair dating back to the 1890s, when piano players were hired to cover up the clattering noise of the film projector. Over the years that relationship has transformed; we now think of film and music as inseparable. This week, we profile two innovative and very different projects that are putting video and music on equal artistic footing - and we bring you one album premiere!

Over the last six weeks we conducted a large-scale talent search for future stars and up-and-comers across YouTube, looking for the YouTubers who have what it takes to be tomorrow's stars. We'd like to introduce you to the first classes of YouTube NextUp and the YouTube Creator Institute : 45 creators who've demonstrated passion, talent and huge potential in video making across a range of genres. The group comes from across the nation,

Are you a film festival fanatic? Do you love keeping up with the latest indie hits? Are you at least somewhat interested in hearing David Duchovny voice a polar bear that's BFF with Leonardo DiCaprio? Of course you are! Since not everyone can make it to New York City for the 10th annual Tribeca Film Festival , YouTube, Tribeca and American Express have teamed up to bring the festival to you. From today through May 17,

In honor of National Teacher Day in the U.S. we've asked The Teaching Channel , one of our YouTube EDU partners, to help celebrate the educators in our lives. While National Teacher Day in the U.S. is an important reminder of the invaluable contributions made by teachers, we celebrate great teaching everyday at Teaching Channel because there is so much to learn from inspiring teachers. Who hasn't had that one teacher whom you will always remember?

[Cross-posted on the Google Webmaster Blog ] Last week we sent an email to Google Video users letting them know we would be ending playbacks of Google Videos on April 29 and providing instructions on how to download videos currently hosted on the platform. Since then we've received feedback from you about making the migration off of Google Video easier. We work every day to make sure you have a great user experience and should have done better. Based on your feedback,

This Sunday, May 1st, at 1:00am ET / 9:00am CET, people across the globe will be able to attend the Beatification ceremony of Pope John Paul II via a live stream on YouTube. The live stream of Pope John Paul II's Beatification will be available on YouTube's Live browse page at ) www.youtube.com/live (, a YouTube channel created specifically by the Vatican to celebrate the pontiff ) www.youtube.com/johnpaul2 (.

It's Music Tuesday , and new albums are hitting the shelves from Gorillaz , Eliza Doolittle , Lenka , I'm From Barcelona and many more artists this week. Over here, we're still recovering from the epic cascade of music that was Coachella . Relive the festival - and check out this week's offerings on youtube.com/music . Record store clerks cut loose in YouTube Before there was YouTube, people went to record stores to discover new music. The good news is,

Of the most watched YouTube videos in 2010, two of the top 10 were advertisements, showing that more and more advertisers are creating video campaigns that strike a chord with viewers, sending them viral. Advertising Age and Visible Measures take a look at what campaigns are going viral every week as part of their Top 10 Viral Video Ads Charts , but when you look back on 2010, who comes out on top? Last week,

Tomorrow, Friday, April 15 at 2:30 p.m. PT/5:30 p.m. ET, YouTube Presents! Duran Duran live from YouTube HQ. Watch as the band discusses their pioneering role during the early days of music videos, talks about some of their personal favorite YouTube videos, and answers questions from fans. The event will be broadcast on Duran Duran's YouTube channel . If you miss the live stream,

Every month, we identify four channels that are experiencing big gains in subscribers but haven't yet reached the 100,000 mark. Then we ask you to vote for your favorite. We'll reward the winner with exposure on the YouTube homepage and the videos channel as well as posts on Facebook and Twitter . It's all about giving a kick start to the next generation of Partners who will go on to do big things on YouTube. Past winners like emilynoel83 ,

As sports fans know, LeBron James is one of the most talented players in the NBA, with a combination of all-around skills the game hasn't seen since Magic Johnson. Eager to show he's more than an athlete, LeBron has developed an original animated series called The LeBrons that debuts on YouTube this week, sponsored by HP and Intel. Check out the first episode here: Born from a Nike campaign that was very popular on YouTube, The LeBrons features four versions of James: Kid,

Each weekday, we at YouTube Trends take a look at the most interesting videos and cultural phenomena on YouTube as they develop. We want take a moment to highlight some of what we've come across this week: We tracked the influx of Rebecca Black covers and parodies that hit YouTube as the 13-year-old became a national phenomenon. We looked at how popular cartoonists in Jordan have reacted to the major events taking place in North Africa and the Middle East.

Duran Duran, the iconic '80s band who's returned with a new album and tour, will be broadcasting their UNSTAGED performance live at 7 p.m. PT tonight, March 23, on their YouTube channel. The show is part of YouTube's UNSTAGED concert series, presented in partnership with Amex and VEVO, and it will be directed by famed cult director David Lynch. Few bands embodied the 1980s like Duran Duran. They had the best hair, the loveliest makeup, outlandish fashion.

What began with auditions from around the world uploaded to YouTube, millions of video views, and hours of rehearsals, finally comes to life this Sunday, March 20. It has been an extraordinary experience for the 101 winning musicians of the YouTube Symphony Orchestra, and in just a couple of days their collaborative experience will come to life at Sydney Opera House.

As the situation in the Middle East continues to unfold, YouTube World View invites you to submit your questions for one of the most influential leaders in the region - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The interview, which is presented in partnership with Channel 2 News , will be 100% comprised of your top-voted questions. Whether you want to know about the popular upheavals in neighboring Middle East countries,