In an announcement posted on YouTube’s official blog, Jim Patterson, Product Management, announced that the largest video sharing site is ready to become more open.

What does it mean? Basically, YouTube aims to be not only a website, but a service as well.

Starting today, YouTube will release a new set of APIs, which will allow to website owners to create a better integration with the video site.

“…We have added the following new API services for external developers and partners:
* Upload videos and video responses to YouTube
* Add/Edit user and video metadata (titles, descriptions, ratings, comments, favorites, contacts, etc)
* Fetch localized standard feeds (most viewed, top rated, etc.) for 18 international locales
* Perform custom queries optimized for 18 international locales
* Customize player UI and control video playback (pause, play, stop, etc.) through software” explained Patterson in his post.

This means that now any website can create a YouTube copycat and the users will have access on the third-party sites to the same features as on YouTube.

Patterson also offered some examples about how the new APIs can be used. For example, Electronic Arts has enabled gamers to capture videos of fantastical user-generated creatures from their upcoming game, Spore, and publish these directly into YouTube.

Also today TiVo announced an agreement with YouTube  that will offer access to YouTube videos directly from the TV via a TiVo DVR. The company said the service will be available later this year to broadband-connected subscribers with TiVo Series3 DVRs, including the new TiVo HD.

Upon launch of the TiVo-YouTube service, TiVo users will be able to search, browse and watch these videos directly on their television sets through their broadband connected TiVo DVRs.  Importantly, users will be able to log into their YouTube accounts directly from their TiVo boxes and access their favorite YouTube channels and playlists.

“Being able to make available YouTube videos to the TiVo subscriber base using one device, one remote and one user interface is another major step in our commitment to combine all of your television and web video viewing options in one easy to use service,” said Tara Maitra, Vice President and GM of Content Services at TiVo Inc.