Tube Toolbox is a new downloadable application for managing your account, extracting videos, and marketing yourself on YouTube. The free version of the software makes functions like messaging and commenting on your friend’s pages quicker and more efficient. Meanwhile, the paid version automates many tasks, making it a powerful (some might argue spammy) marketing tool. For example, you can configure the software to automatically add friends and comment on videos in an effort to grow your audience on YouTube. The video extraction feature (also a paid feature) allows you to download any YouTube video to your computer. Tube Toolbox also includes its own video player for watching videos within the application.
The software’s creators claim that the software falls within YouTube’s terms of use because it includes “send delay” options that spread out the time between each message or comment sent. Nonetheless, after seeing similar tools load MySpace up with spam from malicious users, there is reason to be wary of applications like Tube Toolbox. As more companies start using video for their marketing, expect more applications for gaming the system to be released.