• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, May 15, 2014

Ryan Seacrest and Advance Publications, the parent company of Condé Nast, have invested in the emerging media and entertainment company DigiTour Media, which produces YouTube concerts and events through its DigiTours and DigiFests divisions, respectively.

Former music A&R executive Meridith Valiando Rojas and multiplatinum music producer Chris Rojas founded the company in 2010. The company claims more than 4 billion media impressions for DigiTour in 2011 and 2012. Sponsors for its live tours include Google, Gibson, Sony, Neuron and Lugz.

Events like DigiFest LA bring favorite YouTubers to fans by featuring a bill of YouTube-based performers focusing on pop, alternative rock and hip hop artists, along with comedians popular among Generation Z and Millennial audiences.

Company stats estimate that in 2014, nearly 100,000 fans will attend DigiTour events in Boston, Chicago, Denver, New York, Los Angeles, among other U.S. cities, as well as London and Toronto.

DigiTour's business model brings the video stars to the masses. Seacrest, a "huge believer in the next generation of talent" from sites like YouTube, Vine and other social platforms, said in a prepared statement that DigiTour will deliver "popular small screen experiences in live, large-scale events that are fun, accessible and brilliantly authentic."

YouTube has been building bridges with video talent by opening video production houses in Los Angeles, New York, London, and Tokyo to support the movement toward online video and allow talent to blossom on its video site. The facilities offer training, education and support in editing and producing.

More than 1 billion unique users visit YouTube monthly; they watch more than 6 billion hours of video. About 100 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute, and 80% of YouTube traffic comes from outside the U.S. YouTube also typically supports VidCon, which takes place in Anaheim, Calif., in June.