A new YouTube Communities experience for fans, by fans
Sep 18, 2024 – [[read-time]] minute read
Editor’s Note: Today at Made on YouTube, we announced a series of product updates to ignite creativity, drive business, and connect people on the platform. We’re diving deeper into Communities, a new dedicated space for creators and fans to connect.
Creators and their communities bring YouTube to life with their passion, creativity, and unique perspectives. Creators pour their hearts into their videos, and in turn, communities rally around them and each other. It's this dynamic interplay that makes YouTube such a vibrant and engaging platform.
And while fans and creators can find each other in comments and the Community tab, conversations would often revolve around a creator’s latest video or post. We wanted to build a space where, for the first time ever, subscribers can chat with each other and the creator directly. This introduces a whole new level of interaction on YouTube, and takes some pressure off creators to always make new content to keep their community buzzing.
Building on a foundation of feedback
We recognize the importance of balancing vibrant engagement with an environment where you can express yourself authentically, whether you’re sharing something, asking a question, or just hanging out.
To start this journey, we talked to the people who matter most: creators and their fans. We wanted the inside scoop: what they loved, what they didn't, and what was missing.
We heard they want more ways to connect with each other; that creators, their content and communities are already on YouTube, so we have the potential to be the best place for deeper conversations too.
Another consistent theme was the desire for belonging – people want a place where they feel included and understood by like-minded peers. We recognize the importance of balancing vibrant engagement with an environment where you can express yourself authentically, whether you’re sharing something, asking a question, or just hanging out.
Creators also told us they wanted more control over their communities, from deciding who can post to setting clear guidelines for behavior. They need the ability to take a break without feeling guilty, knowing their community can momentarily continue in their absence.
With all of this feedback in mind, we narrowed in on our goals: the space had to be open and welcoming, but also intimate and personal. It had to feel like an extension of the creator's channel. And, it had to be easy for newcomers to step in, even if they'd never been there before.
Introducing the new Communities experience
This new space, linked from the creator's channel, is where creators and fans can truly connect on YouTube by building deeper relationships around shared passions.
We're using familiar features like posts and comments, plus our moderation tools, but YouTube Communities is different in a few key ways:
- Fan-initiated: Conversations and comments can be initiated and shared by fans, with creator control over who can participate. To start, only subscribers can post in Communities, and we’re evaluating more controls that could be helpful to creators as we continue our tests.
- Dedicated space: A dedicated spot for conversation and connection, empowering creators to maintain control over their content and brand while fostering meaningful community engagement in a comfortable and inviting space.
- Continuous dialog: Conversations transcend individual videos and posts, allowing topics to flow organically and continue over time.
- Community-powered: Fans drive the space, creating a sense of belonging where like-minded individuals can connect, learn, and share their passions.
Early reactions and progress
We started building Communities with a small, varied set of channels, and many early communities are already thriving. We're already seeing fans spark conversations, share personal stories, and engage directly with each other and the creator.
Across all communities we’re seeing deeper conversations and the formation of lasting connections
For example, within a budding fitness community, women are sharing their personal fitness journeys. Once passive viewers, they now post photos documenting their progress and ask vulnerable questions, fostering a supportive community and empowering each other to achieve their goals.
In a thriving cooking community, the creator is challenging participants to try new recipes. The community is responding with photos of their creations, sharing both triumphs and mishaps, and collectively brainstorming what the creator should bake in his next video.
Across many gaming communities, we’re seeing friendly challenges arise, incredible fan art shared, deep discussions on game theories, and more.
Most importantly, across all these communities we’re seeing deeper conversations and the formation of lasting connections.
We expect YouTube Communities to transform the way creators and fans interact, fostering deeper connections and more meaningful conversations. But we can only make it better by embarking on this journey with you — we’re testing Communities now on mobile devices with a small group of creators and their fans, and we plan to test it with more of you this year, before expanding access to more channels early 2025. Stay tuned and let us know what you think!