In a move to get involved in video editing, YouTube announced Thursday that it has bought the startup Directr, which focuses on editing mobile videos for businesses and families.
Directr's iOS app is designed to make it easier for users to shoot and edit short video clips, according to Tech Times. YouTube, a video-sharing website owned by Google, made the purchase as a way to improve its strategy in advertising, and said it aims to give video creators tools to produce cleaner, better work.
"Directr is joining the YouTube ads team, where they'll help us make it easier for advertisers to create and upload awesome videos," the company said in a Google+ post.
The mobile app lets users film movies without restrictions on time, scenes or creative ideas, PC Magazine reported. However, Directr has made most of success from its storyboards feature, a tool that gives users a variety of special options for music, titles, and shot-by-shot guidance.
Users can also add their own soundtrack and audio narration, and additionally have the option to choose pre-loaded soundtracks and narrations from the app library. The ability to upload videos from any app or shoot new footage in Directr is also available.
"Our small band of scrappy film lovers set out [two] years ago to help regular folks make great video," Directr wrote in a blog announcing the deal. "Today, we are incredibly excited to take the next step on that journey."
The terms of the acquisition have not been revealed. Since its founding, the Boston-based startup has raised $1.7 million in funding, with support from Boston Seed Capital, Nextview Ventures and Advancit Capital, along with individual investors led by co-founder of Reddit Alexis Ohanian, Tech Times reported.
YouTube's purchase of Directr takes place at the same time as Google's acquisition of Emu, a mobile company that focuses on messaging with smartphones.
The business version of the app is available for between $250 and $500 per year, while the personal edition costs 99 cents for finished videos, PC Magazine reported.
iOS users can download the Directr app now for free at the iTunes App Store.
