YouTube Updates: Shopping Features, Creator Tools, AI Disclosure, and More

Our Take: Remixing a remix on YouTube Shorts is a powerful way to extend the reach and longevity of content. When a creator posts a short YouTube video, another community member can remix that short to provide their own take or feedback tailored to their niche or YouTube audience. Then, someone else can further remix that remix, adding their own perspective.

This “remixing the remix” allows content to spread further and remain relevant for longer, as each new remix exposes the original content to new audiences. This could be particularly valuable for news-style shows or industry-specific segments.

Algorithmically, remixing will benefit the original creator. As a Short gets remixed multiple times, it drives more attention and watch time back to the original video. This is compared to adding a video to a playlist—by remixing and adding their own credibility, the remixer creates an even more powerful signal than a simple share, which can easily get buried in feeds.

While there are some open questions, such as what happens to remixes if a user deletes the original video, YouTube expert Diana Gladney expresses optimism that remixing will prove to be a very positive development for creators looking to expand the impact and durability of their short-form content on YouTube. The ability to “remix the remix” opens up new avenues for collaboration and creative expression within content creation communities.

Our Take: This move is an attempt to revive some of the benefits of the discontinued YouTube Stories feature, which allowed creators to share more casual, behind-the-scenes, engaging content with their target audience.

Many viewers enjoy seeing more of their favorite creators' lives and work without the creators feeling pressured to edit or “overproduce” the content heavily. By providing a space for creators to share less curated, more authentic shorts exclusively with their channel members, YouTube fosters a stronger sense of community and brand affinity.

This new feature is part of a larger YouTube trend encouraging creators to use tools like member-only live streams, community tab posts, and now shorts to engage more closely with their most dedicated fans. By bringing channel members into their everyday activities and creative process, creators can drive increased watch time and build stronger relationships with their audience.

Many viewers prefer to stay on YouTube to see more of their favorite creators rather than follow them to other platforms like Instagram or Facebook. By providing this members-only option, YouTube will likely see positive results in user engagement and loyalty.

Our Take: YouTube’s goal seems to be increasing transparency for viewers and providing clarity for creators about how to use AI responsibly in their videos.

The platform wants creators to disclose when a significant or meaningful portion of their content is heavily enhanced by AI, mainly when it depicts scenarios that could potentially mislead viewers. Examples include fabricating election-related events, creating fictional occurrences during real-world happenings like eclipses, or presenting an AI-generated version of the creator rather than their authentic self.

However, the labeling requirement doesn't apply to common AI-assisted elements like using AI for brainstorming ideas, writing scripts, or minor enhancements like voice correction and beauty filters. The key distinction is whether the AI is being used to generate realistic content that viewers might reasonably mistake for genuine footage.

Interestingly, choosing to label AI-assisted content is currently optional when uploading YouTube videos, but Diana believes it's wise for creators to err on the side of transparency. Proactively disclosing the use of AI, even for relatively innocuous purposes like creating thumbnails, may help protect creators, as YouTube is likely to take a harder stance on this issue over time.

For marketers, using AI in promotional videos is a delicate matter. As a best practice, Diana recommends labeling ads or sales content incorporating a substantial AI-generated component.

Our Take: While YouTube’s personalization can be valuable, it also poses challenges for certain types of content, particularly channels that cover news or tutorials related to rapidly evolving topics.

The algorithm's recommendations may sometimes include outdated, irrelevant, or inaccurate information. For example, a social media news channel might have covered a feature like YouTube Stories in the past. However, promoting those older videos could confuse and mislead viewers if that feature has been discontinued.

To address this issue, YouTube now allows creators to curate the content on their “For You” shelf. This new functionality provides tools similar to playlist management, enabling creators to select specific videos they want to feature and ensure the recommendations stay fresh and pertinent. 

This update is important for channels that prioritize timely and accurate information. By having greater control over which videos are promoted, creators can prevent the algorithm from surfacing tutorials or news stories that have become obsolete over time, even if those videos had previously performed well regarding views or engagement.

Our Take: YouTube is implementing changes to streamline the video upload process and provide more control over notifications. Instead of waiting for the platform to finish processing a video, which could take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, creators can opt to be notified through the app once everything is done.

This feature is significant for time-sensitive content, such as same-day posts or breaking news within a specific industry or niche. By receiving a notification when the video is ready to be published, creators can ensure that their content goes live promptly rather than being held up by processing delays or manually checking the progress.

Our Take: Under this new system, viewers can submit corrections for poorly generated captions, such as misspelled names or words. While these suggestions won't be automatically implemented, they will be visible to other viewers, indicating that a correction has been proposed. Ultimately, the creator still has control over whether to accept or reject the suggested changes, protecting potential bad actors in the community.

Involving the audience in the captioning process could be helpful in the long run, especially given the likelihood that auto-generated captions will continue to have mistakes for at least a few more years. Channel managers, particularly those who run live streams, might appreciate their viewers' additional support in ensuring their captions' accuracy.

Actively encouraging viewers to submit caption corrections could help build brand affinity and foster a sense of community engagement. By trusting their audience's judgment and inviting them to contribute to the quality of the content, creators can strengthen the relationship with their most dedicated followers.

Our Take: The Shopping Collections feature is particularly exciting for creators who want to showcase their merchandise or promote products they believe in. The integration with Fourth Wall, a platform that enables the sale of digital products, is also a significant development, as it expands the range of items creators can offer to their audience.

Another noteworthy addition is the Affiliate Hub, accessible within the YouTube app. It enables creators to connect with shopping partners and potentially earn commissions by promoting their products. Major brands like Samsung are gaining interest in leveraging YouTube's shopping features, suggesting that this trend is gaining momentum.

The ability to tag products across multiple videos is seen as a valuable tool for creators. By tagging their own products, such as books or event-specific merchandise, creators can increase the visibility of their offerings and drive more sales.

From a marketing perspective, these updates present a significant opportunity for businesses to reach out to their influencers, creators, and affiliates. By encouraging them to add products to their shopping collections, particularly items that convert well on YouTube, brands can expand their reach and boost sales through creator partnerships.

Our Take: This update is significant because it competes with Amazon's influencer program, which has been a major player in live-stream shopping.

Previously, creators had to go through a more cumbersome process to tag products during live streams, such as creating thumbnails and following multiple steps. However, with this new feature, creators can now seamlessly tag products they want to showcase while streaming, making it easier for viewers to purchase them without leaving the stream.

This feature will likely extend to the vertical live streams in the YouTube Shorts feed, which the platform introduced a few months prior. Given this update's positive signals and benefits, it's only a matter of time before product tagging becomes available for vertical live streams.

Our Take: Marketers could leverage YouTube’s new analytics feature to drive engagement and business results.

The key idea is “gamifying” live streams using emoji reactions. By setting specific goals, such as receiving 1,000 heart emojis during a stream, creators can encourage their audience to participate and stay engaged for extended periods. This increased engagement can lead to improved watch time, retention, and overall session time on the platform, which are all important metrics for success on YouTube.

Creators could use these emoji-based challenges to incentivize their audience and drive specific actions. For example, a creator could offer a usually paid resource for free if the live stream reaches a certain number of heart emojis. This tactic is compared to the common practice in nonprofit fundraising, where donations are matched, or additional perks are unlocked when certain milestones are achieved within a specific timeframe.

The new emoji analytics feature has the potential to be a powerful tool for marketers when used strategically. By incorporating gamification elements and tying emoji reactions to concrete goals and rewards, creators can boost engagement, build stronger connections with their audience, and drive sales or other desired actions.

Our Take: This new addition will offer valuable data to help creators make informed decisions about their content strategy.

By segmenting the audience into new and returning viewers, creators can better understand how their videos are performing in terms of attracting fresh audiences and retaining existing ones. For example, suppose a particular video generates a significantly higher number of new viewer impressions. In that case, the creator might investigate whether changes to the thumbnail or other elements contributed to this success and consider incorporating those tactics into future content.

Impressions are a key metric for driving growth and engagement on YouTube. When a viewer sees a piece of content, the creator's goal is to entice them to click and watch rather than scroll past. This analytics feature enables creators to assess the effectiveness of their content in capturing both segments of their audience by providing a breakdown of new and returning viewer impressions.

Creators often develop content with different objectives, such as catering to their existing fan base or reaching out to new potential subscribers. The ability to verify how well their videos perform among these distinct groups can help creators refine their strategies and tailor their content to better serve their intended audiences.

Our Take: The Audience Segments feature will allow creators to view separate retention graphs for new versus returning viewers and subscribed versus non-subscribed viewers. This segmentation enables creators to better understand how each group interacts with their content, including where they may skip ahead or drop off.

Creators and marketers can use this data to identify and address specific issues. For example, when a video has good retention among returning viewers, it suggests that the thumbnail and title are not the problem. Instead, the challenge may lie in converting those viewers into subscribers. With this insight, creators can develop strategies to build trust and encourage viewers to hit the “red button” and subscribe.

By providing creators with a more detailed breakdown of audience retention across different segments, YouTube empowers them to make data-driven decisions about their content and channel growth strategies. This new feature offers a deeper understanding of how various audience groups engage with creators’ videos and where opportunities for improvement may lie.

Our Take: This feature aims to enhance the viewing experience by automatically skipping ahead in the video content to the next segment that the algorithm, based on aggregated user behavior data, believes viewers will find engaging.

However, the algorithm's decisions may negatively impact watch time and retention rates, as it could cause viewers to miss important sections of the video, such as intros, sponsored segments, or other valuable content.

Creators and marketers invest significant effort into crafting their videos, and the idea that the platform might automatically jump viewers ahead without their input is understandably worrying. This feature could exacerbate existing challenges, such as regularly reaffirming the video's context for viewers who may have joined midway through or taken a break.

However, there are potential strategies to mitigate the impact of this feature. Creators could incorporate “resets” into their content, periodically reiterating the main points or reminding viewers of the video's purpose. Additionally, the recent changes to YouTube's desktop layout, which prominently displays recommended videos, may encourage more viewers to watch in full-screen mode, thus reducing the likelihood of skipping ahead.

While the “jump ahead” feature is still experimental, it has sparked lively discussion among creators and marketers. The general sentiment appears to be a concern, as the algorithm's decisions could have unintended consequences for content strategy and viewer engagement. As YouTube continues to refine its platform, it will be crucial for the company to consider the feedback and needs of its creator community to ensure that any new features strike a balance between user experience and creator control.