There’s a new way to do things online, and the top-level domain (TLD) .new is behind it. Google is the registrar for the .new domain. You might have already seen it used with different Google apps

Who Gets a .new Domain?

Anyone will be able to register a .new domain, but there are conditions that are unique in the TLD world. 

Table of Contents
    Who Gets a .new Domain? image
    1. To register a .new domain, it must be used to start an action in a process or content creation. 
    2. It has to engage the user immediately in the creative action. 
    3. It must be available to the public within 100 days of registering the domain.
    4. Google must be allowed to verify the domain’s action at no cost to Google. That means, if it’s a membership process, then Google doesn’t have to pay for the membership just to test it.

    Some of the biggest names on the Internet have already snapped up their domains and put them to use. 

    Canva

    Canva image

    If you’re not using Canva for making online and print graphics, you should check them out. To make it simpler to start creating a new design, Canva acquired the canva.new and design.new domains. Both lead directly to Canva’s online graphic design tool.

    Spotify

    Spotify image

    Spotify is all about music and podcasts, so they snatched up the domains playlist.new and podcast.new. As you guessed, playlist.new initiates the building of a new playlist for you.

    Podcast.new will tie you into Spotify’s podcast creation service, Anchor, and you can set up your new podcast. If you’re already casting on Anchor, podcast.new will take you to the new episode creation site.

    Webex

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    If you haven’t used Webex, it’s worth checking out as a way to host online meetings or share someone’s screen to give them tech support. 

    Cisco, owners of Webex, have registered webex.new, letsmeet.new, and mymeet.new. All of these point to the same place to start a new Webex meeting or download the Webex app.

    Stripe

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    Processing online payment is what Stripe does best. By getting the invoice.new and subscription.new domains, Stripe has taken it just a step further. 

    Using invoice.new, you’re taken instantly to create a new invoice on Stripe. Using subscription.new takes you to add a customer to your subscription service to collect recurring payments.

    Medium

    Medium image

    Using the story.new domain will take you to Medium’s story editing page if you have an account. If you don’t have an account, it will first take you to the sign-up page. 

    Medium continues to grow as a prime spot for budding bloggers and seasoned journalists. Using story.new just makes it one step easier.

    OVO Sound

    OVO Sound image

    Amongst the one name luminaries of the world, there’s a solo Canadian named Drake. You might have heard of him. Drake and friends have a record label called OVO, and grabbed music.new to help promote their artists. 

    Go to music.new and you can lightly edit a cover to a song by changing the text. We can only assume this was the minimum effort to get the domain to be used for something much cooler later. 

    RunKit

    RunKit image

    More for the coder crowd, RunKit allows coders to work with the node.js platform online, in a sandboxed, safe, environment. It really is a powerful development tool. 

    RunKit picked up api.new to streamline access to their Application Programming Interface (API) creation tool. 

    Bitly

    Bitly image

    It’s kind of meta that a URL shortening business has acquired domains to shorten their own URLs.

    Bitly is the service you use when you want to change a link from something like http://www.onlinetechtips/cool-article-about-the-.new-domain?variable=fasdnaow4b47oaibouyib to something more like http://bit.ly/whats.new.

    Get your short links quicker with link.new or bitly.new.

    Coda

    Coda image

    Think of Coda as a sort of Google-Docs-meets-whiteboard-meets-a-team-collaboration app. If that sounds like something you could use, or if you’re using Coda already, try the coda.new domain to start a new document.

    eBay

    eBay image

    You know eBay. Outside of Amazon, it’s the one place to shop on the web where everybody knows the name. Selling one item or setting up a new shop, eBay has a .new domain for you. 

    To sell something, go to the sell.new domain or to set up a whole shop go to the shop.new domain.

    GitHub

    GitHub image

    As the repository for so much open source code on the web, GitHub is like the Library of Alexandria for programmers. It’s no surprise that Microsoft bought it. It’s also no surprise that GitHub runs the repo.new and gist.new domains. 

    Of course, repo.new generates a new repository and gist.new creates a new gist. Think of a gist as being a place to store a small chunk of code, while a repository is for a whole coding project. These .new domains will help you to get the most out of GitHub.

    OpenTable 

    OpenTable  image

    OpenTable is to restaurant reservations as Uber is to ride-sharing. For the starving diner, there’s the reservation.new and restaurant.new to quickly book your next food experience. Either will take you directly to the reservation booking page.

    So What Else Is .new?

    There will be many more .new domains to come. It’s still in the early days as Google only opened registrations for the .new TLD in October for established brand names. 

    In December 2019, limited registration will be available for those that wish to apply. Then in July 2020, anyone can register without having to apply. They’ll still need to satisfy the registration criteria, though.

    Is .new Worth It?

    It’s too new to tell. At $550 per domain, it’s worth it to the big names, but to the lone website owner, it might not be. Right now, it appears that the .new domains are being used simply as redirects to already existing and pretty easy to access features. 

    Until 2020, when truly creative people can get their hands on the domain, we just don’t know what can really be done with it.