YouTube announces major updates to boost creator earnings and brand partnerships
YouTube is also leveraging AI to streamline its rapidly growing shopping program, which has seen its Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) increase fivefold year-over-year
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YouTube is rolling out a series of significant new features designed to strengthen its creator economy and revolutionize how brands and creators collaborate. Following a report that the platform has paid out over $100 billion to its community in the last four years, the company announced its latest innovations today at its "Made On YouTube" event.
Dynamic Sponsorships Transform Long-Form Video
In a major shift, YouTube is introducing dynamic, swappable brand sponsorships for long-form videos. This new model will allow creators to insert branded content into designated "slots" within their videos. Once a deal is complete, the segment can be removed, and the slot can be resold to a new brand, or even sold to different brands in multiple international markets.
This change turns videos into "living assets" that can generate revenue over time, providing creators with a more flexible and sustainable business model. Creators will also gain access to detailed performance insights on these branded segments directly within YouTube Studio. The new feature is set to begin testing with a small group of creators early next year.
Shorts Get Direct Brand Links
For the booming Shorts format, YouTube is adding a new feature that will allow creators to include a direct link to a brand's website for sponsored content. This update will allow Shorts creators to provide brands with concrete data on how their short-form content drives traffic and conversions, moving beyond traditional engagement metrics like views and likes. The change is designed to make Shorts a more powerful and measurable tool for brand collaborations.
AI Supercharges YouTube Shopping
YouTube is also leveraging AI to streamline its rapidly growing shopping program, which has seen its Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) increase fivefold year-over-year. A new AI-powered system will automatically identify when a product is mentioned in a video and display the product tag at that exact moment, capturing peak viewer interest. The platform will also begin testing a feature to automatically identify and tag all eligible products in a video later this year, making the process of creating shoppable content more efficient for creators.
These new tools for long-form, Shorts, and shopping are part of YouTube's ongoing effort to solidify its position as a global leader in the creator economy, making it easier for creators and brands to connect and thrive.
