YouTube unveils AI tools, live upgrades and monetization features

At its Made on YouTube event in New York on Tuesday, YouTube unveiled a sweeping package of AI-driven tools, livestreaming upgrades and monetization features aimed at helping creators and artists produce, repurpose and earn more from content across the platform. The announcements, presented by company executives and product leaders, included new studio features, Live platform changes, expanded Shorts capabilities and podcast conversion tools, with rollouts staggered through late 2025 and into 2026.

YouTube said the Live updates represent the platform's biggest refresh for livestreaming to date. New capabilities include simultaneous broadcasting in horizontal and vertical formats with a single unified chat, an expanded Playables library that lets creators run free mini games for viewers, a Practice Mode to test setups before going public, and a reaction streaming function that lets creators stream alongside eligible live content. The company is also adding AI highlights that automatically select moments from livestreams to create shareable Shorts, and a side-by-side ad format designed to run adjacent to streams rather than interrupt them. YouTube noted more than 30 percent of...