Everything Announced at Made on YouTube 2026

At the Made on YouTube 2025 event, CEO Neal Mohan announced the video-streaming platform’s 20th anniversary with a focus on AI. One of the biggest highlights from the announcement revolved around new AI features for YouTube Shorts. The platform says that new AI features are designed to make video creation faster and more accessible.

AI features to help create quick and engaging YouTube Shorts

First and foremost, Google DeepMind’s Veo 3 Fast will now allow creators to instantly generate video backgrounds, add props, and apply stylistic changes to clips.

The company further says that tools like Edit with AI can take raw footage and produce a ready-to-edit draft. Whereas Speech to Song turns ordinary dialogue into playful, soundtrack-style audio.

YouTube Studio becomes a creative partner

Besides announcing improvements to Shorts, YouTube also announced some updates for creators managing their content via YouTube Studio. You’ll see a new Ask Studio conversational tool within YouTube Studio, which will offer personalized guidance for creators, helping you optimize videos and channels.

That’s not all; YouTube also plans to include features like A/B testing for video titles, improvements to the Inspiration Tab, and auto-dubbing upgrades. Moreover, the platform is also expanding the likeness detection tool to all Partner Program members. This will eventually give creators more control over AI-generated content that uses their image.

Big upgrades for live and podcasts

YouTube says over 30% of daily logged-in users watch live content, so it is rolling out its largest-ever upgrade for live streaming. The new tools will improve fan interaction, audience reach, and monetization options for streamers.

Podcasters are also being prioritized, with the new features like clipping podcast episodes into Shorts. And for creators without video resources, Google DeepMind’s Veo can now turn audio-only podcasts into video with customizable visuals.

Music fandom and monetization tools

As part of the upgrade, music artists will get countdowns and pre-save features for upcoming tracks on YouTube Music. Fans can also expect closer interaction through exclusive merch drops, behind-the-scenes clips, and personalized thank-you videos.

If you are an artist collaborating with a brand, YouTube is making the process more seamless than ever. The platform will soon launch a new brand-to-creator initiative and expand YouTube Shopping. On top of that, Shorts will soon support direct links to brand websites, and AI will make product tagging simpler.

From AI-powered editing to deeper fan engagement, YouTube is looking ahead in the future. Mohan summed up the vision clearly, saying, “We didn’t just create a platform. We built an economy.” Moreover, it’s worth noting that YouTube has already paid out over $100 billion to creators, artists, and media companies in the past four years.