New ways for creators to earn more with brand partnerships
Sep 16, 2025 [[read-time]] minute read
Over the past four years, YouTube has paid out $100 billion to creators, artists, and media companies. A significant force behind this thriving creator economy is the collaboration between creators and brands. At Made On YouTube today, we announced new features designed to make these connections easier and more lucrative than ever.
Reimagining sponsorships in long-form video
We’re introducing a new, more flexible approach to brand sponsorships in long-form videos. Instead of permanently "burning in" a sponsorship segment, creators will soon be able to dynamically insert brand segments directly into swappable slots.
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. We’ll begin testing this feature with a small group of creators early next year.
Unlocking new opportunities in Shorts
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. Creators can now show advertisers exactly how their Shorts drive direct traffic and conversions, with data that goes beyond traditional metrics like views and likes.
Forging deeper connections between creators and brands
Brands are looking to partner with YouTube creators more than ever -- delivering the authenticity, fandom and trust they crave. We want to continue to facilitate seamless connections between creators and brands, no matter where they are in their journey.
We recently introduced the creator partnerships hub, a tab within Google Ads that helps advertisers and agencies find and connect with creators. With the help of AI, we’ll soon be able to proactively suggest creators who may be a good fit for brands. We’ll also be connecting more creators and brands during industry events around the world, and equipping our sales teams with new resources to advocate for creators and help make more of these deals happen.
Supercharging YouTube Shopping with AI
Outside of brand deals, we continue to see incredible momentum with YouTube Shopping, with Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) growing 5X year-over-year and more than 500,000 creators enrolled in the program globally as of July 2025.
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.
We’re also expanding the YouTube Shopping program to more creators and markets, including Brazil, and adding top merchants like Nike, Etsy, Best Buy, Shark Ninja, Michaels, and Michael Kors in the U.S., and Olive Young and ZigZag in Korea.
Whether you're a long-form or Shorts storyteller, these updates are designed to open up new revenue streams and make brand collaborations more effective and easier to manage. We’ll continue to grow the creator economy and make YouTube the best place for creators and brands to connect, create, and thrive together.