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YouTube’s move to offer video downloads is unlikely to deliver substantial revenues for the company, but could boost the video download market, according to digital industry experts.

YouTube announced it will allow users to download free and paid-for videos. The

Analysts have questioned how much money YouTube will make from the move, which sees the site partner with US universities including Stanford, Duke and UC Berkeley to offer free educational videos.

Arash Amel, head of broadband media at media analysis firm Screen Digest, said, “The paid-for model isn’t a big revenue driver.”

J amie Riddell, director of innovation at media agency Cheeze, said, “It’ll make some revenue but whether it’s enough to satisfy the doubters, who argue Google paid too much for YouTube, remains to be seen.”

However, Jamie Gavin, marketing communications analyst at ComScore, said, “If the market leader is looking at moving in that direction, it's indicative of the industry. Being able to download is a positive move for the industry. There's definitely a place for downloading videos. Online video is definitely something people want.”

The move could also be a boon for independent production companies, which stand to gain greater reach from the move.

Amel said, “It’s a great opportunity for the independent sector, which already has content on YouTube, to push out their content in another form.”

YouTube is the clear market leader in the UK. In December the site attracted more than 23m unique viewers and 33% of time spent watching online video. This was well ahead of its closest rival, the BBC iPlayer, which had a 3% share, with BBC sites attracting just under 7m unique viewers, according to ComScore.