Sep 23, 2026 [[read-time]] minute read
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Today, YouTube creators are the defining cultural force of our time. They are building next-generation media companies, launching global brands, and redefining modern storytelling. With more than 20 million videos uploaded to the platform every day, our responsibility is clear: to ensure our technology stays one step ahead of how the world creates, discovers, and connects.
This year at Made on YouTube, we’re introducing a suite of new tools designed to support the entire creative journey—helping viewers discover their next favorite passion, empowering creators with AI-assisted production, and opening up new frontiers for sustainable business growth.
Here is a closer look at what we announced:
Creating custom feeds on YouTube
Watch, shop, and listen your way
We want to help you discover more as you watch, shop, and listen across every screen.
Soon, you can design your own unique homepage feeds using conversational prompts like "Witty podcasts for my daily 30-minute commute," “Evening wind down with long documentaries,” or "Help me discover new DIY creators," tailored to whatever mood or interest you like. You can save multiple custom feeds to your home screen that update automatically with fresh recommendations.
We’re also expanding Ask YouTube to be your product recommendation guide, and introducing new ways to explore your favorite artist or discover new podcasts for your commute.
Shorts can now be organized into dedicated seasons and episodes, making it easier than ever to watch microdramas and series. Check out Shorts Series and other updates to TV here.
Smarter creation. Stronger protection.
Creators come to YouTube to tell great stories, not to get bogged down by the heavy lifting of editing, packaging, and channel management. We’re introducing new tools to ease video production and publishing.
A new conversational editing tool across Shorts and the YouTube Create app that guides you through every edit. Start with suggested prompts or your own for a first draft, and keep chatting to choose from personalized suggestions to automatically trim pauses, reorder for better pacing and more. All with the power to edit manually any time.
Video A/B testing in YouTube Studio
YouTube Studio is evolving into an end-to-end creative partner to help across production, packaging, and channel strategy. Creators can now use Studio to get personalized guidance on early drafts, generate video thumbnails that match their channel’s style, and use video A/B testing to try out up to three different cuts for which holds audience attention best. Learn more about what’s possible here.
And, as the video landscape evolves, protecting your face, voice, and personal brand is incredibly important. Likeness detection is coming to your mobile phone, enabling you to enroll, get match alerts, and take action on the go. We’ll also start integrating speaking voice detection with facial detection to improve overall match accuracy and help better safeguard your likeness.
Live showdowns on YouTube
Supporting the biggest fandoms on earth
We’re introducing new live and community tools designed to bring creators and fans closer than ever.
We’re making several updates to Live, including introducing Live showdowns, where creators can merge their live streams for friendly head-to-head competitions, real-time auto dubbing to allow them to reach audiences around the world, and an expansion of “Watch With” to include long form videos so you can react live alongside your favorite creators and communities. Learn more about what we announced for Live.
We’re also introducing new ways to connect with your community, from members-only spaces to AI-powered comment moderation. Check them out here.
International transactions
Leveling up brand partnerships
We're making brand partnerships easier to navigate from start to finish. YouTube Creator Partnerships helps creators get noticed by brands, while Ask Studio will soon make it easy to craft tailored responses to briefs, build proactive pitch materials, and land deals faster.
Creators don’t have to wait for a brand deal to start earning either, because the products they recommend can earn them money through YouTube Shopping. We’re expanding our affiliate program to be in 35 countries by the end of the year and bringing more partners than ever, including support for Amazon in international regions. And for anyone with a global audience, product tags now automatically update to show localized offers based on exactly where viewers are watching from. Learn more about how we’re helping creator businesses here.
Looking ahead
We are living in an era where culture is no longer dictated from the top down; it is built from the ground up by creators and the passionate communities that rally around them. Everything we build is in service of that vibrant ecosystem.
Let’s create what’s next together.