YouTube has announced a suite of monetization updates designed to help creators diversify their revenue streams.
Key updates include dynamic sponsorship for long-form videos, brand linking in Shorts, AI-powered product tagging for Shopping, and side-by-side live ads.
The updates come as YouTube revealed it paid out over $100 billion to creators, artists, and media companies globally over the past four years.
What’s New
Dynamic Sponsorship
YouTube is introducing a new way for creators to manage sponsorships in their videos.
Creators will soon be able to dynamically add brand segments to their content, rather than having to permanently embed them.
YouTube’s announcement reads:
“This new format enables you to remove the sponsorship when the deal is complete, resell the slot to another brand or eventually sell the same slot to multiple brands in different markets — transforming your videos into living assets to grow your business. Creators can choose the perfect moment to insert the branded segment, and will see detailed performance insights directly in YouTube Studio, which can also be shared with the brand.”
Testing starts with a small group early next year.
Shorts Links
YouTube is adding the ability to link directly to a sponsor’s website from Shorts.
YouTube states:
“For Shorts creators, they’ll soon be able to add a link to a brand’s site specifically for brand deals. This will make it easier for viewers to discover and buy products, while giving creators a powerful way to drive results for brand partners.”
Shopping
YouTube Shopping is getting a series of updates to improve the shopping experience for both creators and viewers.
The platform is adding automatic timestamps that show when products are available in videos, making it simpler for viewers to find and buy featured items.
YouTube is also automating product selection in Merchant Center, which reduces the manual work creators have to do to tag and link products to their content.
YouTube’s announcement reads:
“We know tagging products can be time-consuming, so to make the experience better for creators, we’re leaning on an AI-powered system to identify the optimal moment a product is mentioned and automatically display the product tag at that time, capturing viewer interest when it’s highest. We’ll also begin testing the ability to automatically identify and tag all eligible products mentioned in your video later this year.”
These updates are planned for later this year.
Live Streaming
Live streaming, which draws more than 30 percent of YouTube’s daily logged-in viewers, according to company data, is getting new features to help creators earn more money.
YouTube is rolling out live ads that show up next to streams, rather than interrupting them.
YouTube’s announcement reads:
“The new side-by-side ads are a less intrusive format for viewers, while helping creators get paid without pulling their audience away.
YouTube is also introducing a feature that lets live streams transition directly to member communities and channel memberships.
The company adds:
… We’re rolling out a new feature that allows channel membership creators to easily transition from public to members-only livestreams, without disruption. This makes it easy to create premium, members-only content, while strengthening your community and attracting new paid members.
Why This Matters
These updates are a move toward giving creators more control over how they make money from their content, while also giving brands more ways to partner with them.
By opening up new revenue streams beyond traditional pre-roll and mid-roll ads, YouTube is equipping creators with tools that could make the platform more attractive for full-time publishing.