30% of YouTube’s daily viewers are watching Live — platform unveils biggest upgrades in a decade

At its annual Made on YouTube event, YouTube laid out its vision for the next 20 years of entertainment, announcing major product updates powered by AI, new monetisation tools, and expanded live features.

“YouTube didn’t just create a platform. We built an economy,” said Neal Mohan, CEO of YouTube, highlighting that the platform has paid out over $100 billion to creators, artists, and media companies globally in the past four years.

AI-powered Shorts creation

Chief Product Officer Johanna Voolich announced tighter integration of Google DeepMind’s Veo 3 Fast into YouTube Shorts. Creators will now be able to generate video backgrounds, apply motion effects, add props, and even turn raw footage into a draft edit using AI. A new “speech to song” feature can also transform dialogue into music tracks.

“YouTube sees AI as the next evolution of tools — designed to empower human creativity and storytelling,” Mohan said, while stressing that “no studio, tech company, or AI tool will own the future of entertainment. That power belongs to creators.”

Studio upgrades for creators

YouTube Studio is being expanded with:

Ask Studio, a conversational tool to provide insights and optimisation suggestions.

A/B testing for titles and upgraded auto-dubbing features.

Expanded likeness detection to help creators manage unauthorised AI-generated videos using their image, now rolling out in open beta.

Live streaming push

YouTube reported that over 30% of daily logged-in viewers watched live content in Q2 2025, underscoring the format’s growing role. To capitalise, the platform introduced its largest Live upgrade yet, including:

Practice before going live, allowing creators to test streams privately.

Playables on Live, with access to 75+ lightweight games like Angry Birds Showdown and Trivia Crack, playable during streams with chat integration.

Multi-format streaming, letting creators broadcast simultaneously in horizontal and vertical formats with a single chat.

React Live, expanding pilots that allow real-time commentary on live events and other creators’ streams.

Music and fandom tools

To strengthen artist-fan relationships, YouTube announced new features on YouTube Music like countdowns for new releases, pre-saves, and fan-exclusive perks. Across the platform, creators can now offer exclusive merch, “thank you” videos, behind-the-scenes clips, and just-for-fans content.

“Fandom moves music culture and powers artists’ careers,” YouTube said, framing the updates as part of its push to supercharge music communities.

Reimagining formats

Live interactivity remains central. From concerts to Q&As, YouTube is betting on shared, real-time experiences. “That excitement is instantly shared with thousands around the world, creating a one-of-a-kind connection,” the company noted.