Celebrating innovation: 11 features we shipped for YouTube creators
Mar 18, 2025 – [[read-time]] minute read
For the past 20 years, creators have been at the heart of YouTube and the driving force behind how we build new products to help them find success on our platform. To celebrate being named #11 on Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list for 2025, here are 11 products we’ve launched for YouTube creators in the past year:
1. Auto dubbing: We launched auto dubbing, which helps creators translate their videos into multiple languages with a touch of a button, helping creators find new audiences.
2. Inspiration tab: Using AI, we’ve given creators a space to brainstorm ideas about what videos to make next based on what their audience enjoys most.
3. YouTube Shopping: In partnership with Shopify, we expanded our YouTube Shopping affiliate program so more merchants can make their products available for creators to tag in their shopping content. We also expanded the YouTube Shopping affiliate program to Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.
4. Longer Shorts: We gave creators the ability to make their Shorts up to 3 minutes long, up from 60 seconds, plus a bunch of new Shorts updates to creators.
5. Gifts, powered by Jewels: We introduced Jewels and gifts, digital items that can power real-time engagement, on vertical livestreams in the US to let viewers more easily react and engage in the moment.
6. Communities: We unveiled a new central hub for viewers to discuss videos, share fan art, connect with like-minded individuals, and build a vibrant sense of belonging on a creators channel.
7. New subscribe button on TVs: We made it easier for viewers to subscribe to their favorite creators directly from their TV. In our early tests, we saw more than a 40% increase in net subscribers through TVs.
8. Hype: We rolled out Hype in our first markets, a new way for viewers to support and discover emerging creators on YouTube.
9. Watch With: We’ve begun piloting the ability for viewers to watch live events alongside their favorite creators, helping creators reach new audiences
10. Dream Screen with Veo: We integrated Veo 2 into Dream Screen on Shorts to let creators generate unique AI video backgrounds and clips for their Shorts with just a text prompt.
11. Thumbnail A/B testing: Creators can now test and compare the performance of up to three thumbnails to see which performs best with their audience and guide their content strategy.
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This recognition wouldn’t be possible without our creators, thanks for everything you do!