On September 16, YouTube announced extensive additions and updates, including the deep implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to its Shorts feature. These features will utilize the increasingly popular AI tool to not only help shape its algorithms and influence user habits, but also enable content creators to come up with short clips even as they are live in front of thousands of viewers.
As the Google-owned company itself put it, this will be the biggest update to its YouTube Live segment yet. It added that these features are "grounded in community feedback and designed to help creators get discovered, grow their channel and increase their earnings."
With the demand for livestreaming growing at a breathless pace, YouTube is doubling down on features that make live more interactive, discoverable, and rewarding. Below, Streams Charts lists some of the more prominent updates that are bound to have an impact on the segment.
Use AI to create Shorts, the ultimate in YouTube entertainment
AI will be playing a big role in how the next decade of creation, connection, and business will pan out on YouTube. One of its first uses will be to make the creation of Shorts easier and more fun. The company has begun integrating Google DeepMind's Veo 3 Fast into these short clips so creators can easily create video backgrounds or clips with sound, for free.
Veo will also allow influencers to apply motion, restyle videos, and add props to their scenes. As a result, it can help turn raw footage into a first draft video and use the speech to song tool to turn video dialogue into a funny soundtrack for a user's next Short. Readers can get the full details about this feature here.
Boost your discoverability
With a priority towards discoverability and growth, YouTube will introduce three new features:
- Streaming across formats: The first one acts as a means for influencers to reach viewers on every screen by streaming across formats. They can soon broadcast in horizontal and vertical formats simultaneously, with a single unified chat room bringing the entire community together in one seamless experience.
- React live: The second feature builds on a successful pilot that expanded the ability of viewers to react live to YouTube content. This will allow anyone to start a vertical livestream on mobile and react to other live events and even other creators who are currently live. It turns any stream into a shared event, letting streamers of all sizes share commentary, analysis, and real-time reactions.
- AI-powered highlights: The last addition might perhaps be the most noteworthy one and is aimed at keeping the engagement going even when creators go offline. The AI-powered highlights tool turns live content into lasting content by finding the most compelling moments from a livestream and automatically creating ready-to-share Shorts. Influencers can then instantly post it if they're happy with the video that is generated.
Ease into your livestreaming journey
Because broadcasting live can be a scary proposition, YouTube has added an option for creators at the start of their careers to practice before going live. This will give them a way to test their setup with no risk by trying out and experimenting with new tools, ensuring they can go live to the public whenever they are ready.
The red platform has also fully implemented Playables on Live, which had a limited debut last year and serves as a fun, interactive way to experience the platform. Streamers can play from a library of 75+ games (Angry Birds, Trivia Crack, Cut the Rope) while interacting with their audience through chat, and monetize the stream like any other broadcast.
Fresh monetization tools
The company has also worked on improving and supporting the way creators earn a living from their work. The new side-by-side ads are a less intrusive format for viewers, while helping them get paid without pulling their audience away. It will replace the current setting that has mostly been panned, as ads running across a video end up interrupting key moments of any livestream, spoiling the experience for audiences and the streamer.
YouTube has also looked to offer value to creators' biggest supporters and fans. It will roll 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 their community and attracting new paid members.
Studio gets a facelift
YouTube Studio has been useful to creators for deeper insights and inspiration for what to create next. However, a new suite of tools, designed to be a true creative partner across every phase of the creation journey, is being added.
YouTube's new conversational tool, Ask Studio, can better optimize a channel by gathering insights, which is especially handy in choosing collaborations to expand a streamer's reach. There will also be A/B testing for titles and updates to both the Inspiration Tab and auto-dubbing in the near future.
Most crucially, influencers can soon use Studio's likeness detection tool to detect and manage videos made with AI using their facial likeness. This feature will come soon to all YouTube Partner Program creators in an open beta. Readers can do a deeper dive into these features here.
Connecting artists and fans, 2.0
To create new opportunities to connect artists with their fans, YouTube Music will give fans the option to countdown upcoming new releases and pre-save their favorites. Its Fandom feature had recently celebrated its tenth anniversary with a bunch of rasty updates, and these additions are bound to make the experience all the more gratifying for music lovers.
The entire livestreaming service is also getting tools that will let artists reward and connect with their top fans. They can do so through exclusive merch, "thank you" videos, behind-the-scenes clips, and other just-for-fans content. Read more here.
Fostering better connections between brands and creators
Lastly, the tech giant is adding updates to brand deals and Shopping to make brand collaborations easier than ever. To fast-track these deals, a new initiative and new product features are being built to ensure those partnerships succeed.
Some examples include the ability to add a link to a brand's site in Shorts. YouTube Shopping will also expand to more markets and merchants and use AI to make tagging easier. Readers can get more information about these updates here.
Suffice to say that YouTube is not messing about when it comes to the latest bout of changes across its services. Just a brief look at these updates will reiterate the company's dedication to becoming the global leader in entertainment and the Live segment, and when implemented, these features will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression on the global livestreaming community.