At its Made on YouTube 2025 event, YouTube unveiled a wave of new tools and monetization features designed to shape the future of creation, fan engagement, and business opportunities on the platform.
Neal Mohan, CEO of YouTube, emphasized the platform’s vision for the next decade: “No studio, network, tech company, or AI tool will own the future of entertainment. That power belongs to creators.” Mohan also revealed that YouTube has paid out over $100 billion to creators, artists, and media companies worldwide in the past four years.
YouTube is turning Shorts into a more interactive playground with the integration of Google DeepMind’s Veo 3 Fast. Creators can now:
- Generate backgrounds and short clips with sound at no cost.
- Use motion and restyle tools to transform video aesthetics.
- Add AI-generated props for scene customization.
- Apply Edit with AI to convert raw footage into draft videos.
- Experiment with speech-to-song, which transforms dialogue into musical soundtracks.
YouTube Studio is evolving into a comprehensive creative hub. New features include:
- Ask Studio, a conversational AI tool for content strategy insights.
- Title A/B testing to improve performance.
- Enhancements to the Inspiration Tab.
- Improved auto-dubbing across multiple languages.
- Direct collaboration tools within Studio.
Expansion of the likeness detection tool (in open beta) for Partner Program creators to monitor AI-generated videos using their facial likeness.
Live streaming continues to surge, with over 30% of logged-in users watching live daily in Q2 2025. To support this growth, YouTube is rolling out its biggest live upgrade yet, including features to strengthen fan engagement, expand reach across audiences, and unlock new monetization pathways.
Podcasters also get new tools, such as the ability to cut Shorts and clips from episodes. For audio-only creators, Veo will generate customizable videos directly from audio files, making podcast distribution more visual and accessible.
On YouTube Music, artists can now offer countdowns and pre-saves for upcoming releases, exclusive perks such as thank-you videos, behind-the-scenes content, and limited-edition merchandise.
YouTube is rolling out updates that streamline creator–brand partnerships:
- Direct brand links in Shorts.
- A new creator–business collaboration initiative.
Meanwhile, YouTube Shopping is expanding into more markets. AI-powered automatic product tagging will simplify content-linked shopping for creators and audiences alike.
- Already available: Veo 3 integration in Shorts, Ask Studio (in select regions).
- Coming soon: Title A/B testing, new podcast tools.
- Gradual rollout (into 2026): Expanded likeness detection, major live streaming upgrades, and broader AI-driven features.
