To do this, the video-sharing website unveiled "YouTube Next Comic" on Friday. The program will give the comics training via Google+ Hangouts, $5,000 of video equipment and $10,000 of promotion on YouTube. Comedy engine College Humor will also mentor the creators.
"Whether your forté is sketch comedy, stand-up, parodies, pranking, awkward moments and epic fails, pet-inspired shenanigans, humorous vlogging and commentary, or any other indefinable laugh-generating genre, we want you," YouTube's Austin Lau wrote in an announcement.
The initiative, which comes on the heels of YouTube unleashing the first video for its new Official Comedy channel, is part of the Next Creator campaign. Next Creator and YouTube's NextUp programs have helped some 150 channels from 13 countries create more than 9,000 videos that have netted 327 million views.
YouTube Next Comic applications are due by July 13. People from Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK and the U.S. are eligible. YouTube will introduce the 16 creators July 30.