YouTube unveils new ways for creators to earn with brand deals, YouTube Shopping program
At its Made on YouTube event on Tuesday, the company unveiled a series of new ways for creators to earn more with brand deals and the YouTube Shopping program, which lets creators earn money by featuring and tagging products in their content. Most notably, YouTube is going to allow creators to swap out brand sponsorships in long-form videos.
The company is also introducing auto timestamps for product tags, auto tagging for eligible items mentioned in videos, and a new brand link feature for Shorts.
The new flexible approach to brand sponsorships will allow creators to dynamically insert brand segments directly into swappable slots in longer videos. This means that when a deal with a brand is complete, creators can remove the sponsorship from the video and resell the slot to another brand.
YouTube will begin testing this feature with a small group of creators early next year.
The company is also going to leverage an AI-powered system to identify the optimal moment a product is mentioned and automatically display the product tag at that time. YouTube says this will capture viewer interest when it’s at its highest. Plus, the platform will begin testing the ability to automatically identify and tag all eligible products mentioned in a creator’s video later this year.
As for Shorts creators, they will soon be able to add a link to a brand’s site specifically for brand deals, making it easier for viewers to discover and buy products, while allowing creators to drive results for brand partners. Creators will be able to show advertisers how their Shorts drive traffic in a way that goes beyond traditional metrics like views and likes, YouTube says.
YouTube also announced that it will soon be able to proactively suggest creators who may be a good fit for brands in its creator partnerships hub, which is a tab within Google Ads that helps brands connect with creators.
Additionally, YouTube is expanding its YouTube Shopping program to more creators and markets, including Brazil, and adding merchants like Nike, Etsy, Best Buy, Shark Ninja, Michaels, and Michael Kors in the U.S., and Olive Young and ZigZag in Korea.
YouTube shared that Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) has grown 5X year-over-year and more than 500,000 creators enrolled in the program globally as of July 2025. The company also said that it paid more than 100 billion (USD) to creators, artists, and media companies in the last four years.
