YouTube New Features: The 30 Biggest Updates Creators Need to Know in 2025

YouTube new features are rolling out at lightning speed, and the platform has just announced one of its biggest update waves ever — nearly 30 brand-new tools, upgrades, and AI-powered features that will completely transform how creators make, edit, publish and monetise content. Some features are small quality-of-life improvements, while others feel like YouTube finally entering its “AI-powered creator era.”

Whether you’re a Shorts creator, long-form storyteller, live streamer, podcaster or brand-focused channel, these updates have something for everyone. Let’s break down every major YouTube new feature and what it means for creators this year.

1. Google Veo 3 Arrives Inside YouTube Shorts

This is huge: YouTube Shorts will now include Google Veo 3, one of Google’s most realistic video-generation models.
Creators can type:

• a sentence

• a paragraph

• a visual prompt

…and Veo 3 will generate a short video clip to match. This opens the door for rapid idea prototyping, visual storytelling, and creative experiments — right inside the YouTube ecosystem.

2. Pose Control for Animated Photos

YouTube is lowering the barrier to entry for beginners.
With Pose Control, creators can upload a still image (e.g., a picture of themselves), choose from a set of presets, and generate a video of that image moving or dancing.

Is it gimmicky? A bit.
Is it accessible for beginners? Absolutely — and that’s why YouTube is adding it.

3. New Stylisation Tools for Shorts

YouTube is building more creative power into Shorts, allowing creators to apply AI stylisation to their videos. Effects include:

• textures

• filters

• stylised visual themes

• colour transformations

This is a step toward democratising polished visual production.

4. Insert Objects into Video (AI Object Placement)

One of the coolest updates: creators can digitally insert objects into their videos.

Example:
Want an apple floating on your desk? Tap to add it — the system integrates object lighting and shadows automatically.

5. Speech-to-Song — Turn Dialogue Into Music

This one is wild. YouTube’s AI can now convert your spoken dialogue into a full song — music included. It transforms a normal video clip into a musical piece, which opens creative doors for:

• parody

• storytelling

• music creators

• comedic Shorts

6. AI Video Editing (Massive Update)

If you hate editing, YouTube has your back.

You’ll be able to upload several vertical clips, and YouTube’s AI will:

• edit them together

• add pacing

• choose transitions

• craft a finished short video

This may become a game-changer for beginner creators.

7. Multi-Channel Collaboration Uploads

Creators can now publish a single video across multiple collaborating channels.
The host gets the ad revenue, but all collaborators get:

• views

• watch time

• algorithmic engagement

Great for creators who want to grow through collaboration.

8. Ask Studio — AI Analytics Conversations

Instead of digging through analytics, creators can now talk to their statistics.

Ask Studio allows you to ask:

• “Why did this video underperform?”

• “What could I improve?”

• “Which topics work best for my audience?”

And the AI will analyse your channel data and give actionable insights.

9. Inspiration Tab Upgrades

YouTube is improving its idea-generation tools.
The Inspiration Tab will suggest:

• trending video ideas

• topics rising with your audience

• comparative idea performance

Helpful for creators stuck on what to post next.

10. Title A/B Testing (Full Package Testing)

One of the most requested features EVER.

Creators can now test:

• multiple titles

• multiple thumbnails

• or full “packages” (title + thumbnail combos)

This lets creators see what viewers click on most without guessing.

11. Revolutionary Auto-Dubbing With Lip Sync

Auto-dubbing is getting a major upgrade.

Not only will YouTube translate your voice into another language — it will visually adjust your lip movements to match the translation.

Creators can now reach a global audience far more naturally.

12. Creator Likeness Protection

YouTube is rolling out likeness detection, similar to copyright scanning, to catch:

• deepfake videos

• impersonations

• stolen faces or AI-generated clones

A much-needed safety update for large creators.

13. Multi-Aspect Live Streaming

Live stream once — publish everywhere.
YouTube’s system will now automatically produce:

• a 16:9 stream

• a vertical Shorts version

• synced comments

• unified views

This removes the need for multiple stream keys or separate streams.

14. Co-Streaming (Dual Channel Streaming)

Creators can now stream together across multiple channels simultaneously — without copyright or reuse risk.
Perfect for interviews, collabs, gaming, and commentary.

15. Live-to-Shorts Conversion

During a live stream, creators can clip moments and schedule them instantly as Shorts — no external tools required.

16. Side-by-Side Ads

A new monetisation experiment:
Half the screen shows content, the other half displays an ad.
Audio defaults to the ad but can be changed by the viewer.

Potentially powerful for RPMs.

17. More Live Shopping Tools

Creators selling products will get:

• more tagging options

• AI-based product detection

• simplified shopping workflows

Great for channels using affiliate or e-commerce monetisation.

18. Live Practice Mode

Practise a live stream privately with:

• fake chat

• simulated viewers

• mocked engagement

A great confidence booster for beginners.

19. Seamless Members-Only Transition

Creators can now switch from public live stream → members-only live stream with one button.

20. AI Video Generation for Podcasters

Upload an audio-only podcast and YouTube will generate video assets automatically — including relevant scenes, motion graphics and visualisations.

Perfect for audio-first creators.

21. Expanded Brand Deal Tools

Partner Hub makes creators more discoverable by brands — automatically showing brands the videos made about their products.

22. Creator-Controlled Ad Slots (Massive)

Creators can now insert their OWN mid-roll ads:

• personal products

• affiliate offers

• brand deals

• channel promos

This gives creators full control over monetisation strategy.

This is huge for business-focused channels.

23. Playable Games on Streams

Creators can play small in-stream games with audiences — useful for interactive engagement or casual streams.

24. Better Short-Form Brand Deal Links

Brands can now approve links embedded inside Shorts to verify authenticity.

25–30. Additional Minor Rollouts

YouTube also teased smaller updates like:

• improved notifications

• better Shorts discovery

• shopping tag expansions

• refined comments moderation

• viewer experience upgrades

• background checks for impersonation