At Tuesday’s YouTube event, the company launched a series of new ways to enable creators to earn more revenue through brand deals and YouTube shopping programs, which allow creators to make money by using and tagging products in their content. Most notably, YouTube will allow creators to exchange brand sponsorships in long-term videos.
The company also introduced automatic timestamps for product labels, automatic tags for qualified items mentioned in the video, and new brand linking features for shorts.
New flexible approaches to brand sponsorship will allow creators to insert brand segments directly into interactive slots in longer videos. This means that when the deal with the brand is completed, the creator can remove sponsorship from the video and resell the slot to another brand.
YouTube will start testing this feature early next year with a small group of creators.
The company will also use an AI-powered system to determine the best moments for a product to be mentioned and automatically display product labels at that time. YouTube says that when the audience is at its highest level, this will attract audience interest. Additionally, the platform will begin testing the ability to automatically identify and tag all qualified products in creator videos later this year.
As for the creators of shorts, they can quickly add links to brand websites dedicated to brand transactions, making it easier for viewers to discover and purchase products while allowing creators to drive results for brand partners. YouTube says creators will be able to show advertisers how their shorts drive traffic in ways that go beyond traditional metrics like views and likes.
YouTube also announced that it will soon be able to proactively propose creators who may be suitable for the brand Creator Partner CenterThis is a tag in Google Advertising that helps brands connect with creators.
Additionally, YouTube is expanding its YouTube shopping program to more creators and markets, including Brazil, and adding businessmen like Nike, Etsy, Best Buy, Shark Ninja, Michaels and Michael Kors in the United States, as well as Olive Young and Zigzag in South Korea.
YouTube shared that as of July 2025, the total sales of goods (GMV) that have participated in the program worldwide increased by more than 500,000 year-on-year. The company also said it has also paid more than 100 billion (USD) to creators, artists and media companies over the past four years.
