On September 23rd in New York, YouTube held its annual Made on YouTube 2026 presentation for creators. The company announced over 30 new features: Shorts series, AI editing with text commands, A/B testing for different video versions, official live reactions, user-curated feeds, and new tools for working with brands.
We've combed through all of YouTube's official posts, help docs, and US media coverage to bring you the key takeaways for short-form video creators: what's already live, what's not coming until 2027, what's US-only—and how it all connects to making money, especially if you're outside the US.
The Short Version
- Already live: Shorts series with seasons and episodes, image posts and carousels in the Shorts feed.
- By the end of 2026: Live stream reactions to other videos (Watch With), Shopping affiliate program in 35 countries, voice recognition for AI clone protection.
- In 2027: AI editing for Shorts via text commands, A/B testing for up to three video versions, automatic translation for live streams.
- US only: Feeds that viewers describe in their own words.
- The biggest money news was announced earlier, on August 10th: Starting February 1, 2027, joining the YouTube Partner Program will become twice as hard, and only channels with 10 million Shorts views in 90 days will get paid for Shorts.
- For Russia and the CIS, almost nothing changes: The Partner Program and most new monetization methods are unavailable there.
What and When: A Summary Table
| Feature | What it does | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shorts Series | Organizes Shorts into seasons and episodes that play in order | Rolling out since Sept 23 | Worldwide |
| Posts in Shorts Feed | Images and carousels are shown in the Shorts feed to non-subscribers | Already live | Where posts are available |
| AI Editing with Commands | Creates a draft video from a text prompt, edits via chat | Early 2027 | Worldwide, Android & iPhone |
| A/B Version Testing | Up to three versions of one video; YouTube picks the best one | 2027, initially for some creators | Worldwide |
| Ask Studio | AI analyzes your draft: title, structure, pacing, thumbnails | Rolling out, mobile version this year | Worldwide |
| Dynamic Thumbnails | Up to three thumbnails; each viewer gets a personalized one | Soon | Not specified |
| Live Reactions (Watch With) | Live reaction to another video or stream; revenue goes to the reactor | By the end of 2026 | Worldwide |
| Custom Feeds | Viewer describes what they want to watch, AI builds a feed | Soon | US only |
| Shopping and Amazon | Commission on products in videos, local offers for viewers in other countries | By the end of 2026, 35 countries | Excluding CIS countries |
| Face and Voice Protection | Finds AI fakes, now from mobile and with voice recognition | Voice coming later in 2026 | Except for some countries |
YouTube's official announcements sometimes have conflicting timelines. The dates in this table are the most conservative ones, taken from the Made On page and the official YouTube forum.
Shorts Series
The biggest new feature for short-form video is Shorts series. You can now group your Shorts into a "show" with seasons and episodes. Each episode has its own thumbnail, the videos play in order, and a button to go to the series appears in the Shorts feed. On a channel page, the series is displayed as a single tile.
What a Shorts series looks like on a TV. Source: YouTube Blog
According to YouTube's help page, the conditions are:
- The series is created from a playlist containing only Shorts.
- The videos must be vertical or square, and up to 180 seconds long.
- You must specify a season number.
- The series is created in YouTube Studio on a computer, but can be watched everywhere—in the app, browser, and on TV.
Why is YouTube betting on this? According to their data, vertical micro-series garnered over 6.5 billion views in the first half of 2026, their watch time grew by 50% over the year, and views on TVs increased by 90%.
What this means for creators. If you have a recurring segment or a story that's best told in parts, format it as a series. A viewer who enjoys one episode gets a direct path to the next one instead of scrolling away. This is especially good for skits, stories "to be continued," and explainer series.
What YouTube didn't say: whether series will earn more than regular Shorts, and if the feed will direct a new viewer to the first episode. Some US publications have called the series "monetizable," but there's no official confirmation of this.
Image Posts in the Shorts Feed
Image posts and carousels are now being recommended in the Shorts feed—meaning they'll be seen by people who aren't subscribed to your channel. The feature is already live on iPhone and Android. According to YouTube, over 300 million people interact with posts every day.
For creators, this is another low-cost format: a five-slide carousel is faster to make than a video. But it will also be competing with videos—critics rightly point out that most viewers in the Shorts feed will likely just scroll past images.
AI Editing for Shorts with Text Commands
A Gemini-powered chat editor is coming to Shorts and the YouTube Create app. You type what you need—"find the best takes," "make it more dynamic," "sync to the beat"—and get a draft. You can then refine it through the same chat: remove pauses, rearrange clips, add trending music and text. The timeline remains accessible, so you can make manual adjustments at any time.
The editor suggests ready-made commands or accepts your own. Source: YouTube Blog
When: According to the official YouTube forum and TechCrunch—starting in early 2027, on Android and iPhone.
What this means for clippers. Rough cuts—trimming, pacing, music—will become faster and more accessible to beginners. The winners won't be those who cut the fastest, but those who are best at choosing the right moments and hooks. For a guide on how to structure your workflow now, check out our article "The Clipper's Workflow", and for a review of AI editors available today, see our roundup "15 Best AI Video Editors of 2026".
A/B Testing Three Versions of One Video
In YouTube Studio, you'll be able to upload up to three different edited versions of a single video or Short. YouTube will show them to different viewers and identify the one that holds attention best—you can then set it as the main version.
Test report: which version achieved the highest watch time. Source: YouTube Blog
When: In the YouTube CEO's overview, the feature was described as already available, but the Made On page and the YouTube Creators account say 2027, initially for some creators. Plan for 2027.
YouTube already has A/B testing for thumbnails and titles—the company says creators have run over 40 million experiments since 2024. Now, you can test the video itself.
What to do now. Get into the habit of shooting extra footage: two or three variations of the first few seconds, different endings. When the test feature arrives, you'll have material to create different versions. For more on why the first few seconds are crucial, see our breakdown of hooks.
Criticism: US publications worry that the test could be used unethically—for example, by releasing a video in both a "positive" and a "scathing" version and keeping the one that gets more views.
Ask Studio: Draft and Thumbnail Analysis
Ask Studio is an AI assistant inside YouTube Studio. Before you publish, it analyzes your draft—title, structure, pacing, script—and provides time-stamped advice.
Advice on the first few seconds of a video—it's all about the hook. Source: YouTube Blog
What else Ask Studio can do:
- Generate thumbnails in your channel's style—this has been available for long-form videos since July.
- Dynamic thumbnails: You upload up to three thumbnails, and YouTube shows each viewer the one most likely to work on them. Coming soon.
- Optimize old videos: It automatically finds old videos and suggests new thumbnails for them—according to various sources, this is coming in late 2026 or early 2027.
- Analytics with explanations—not just "how many," but "why," plus identifying videos that performed better than usual to spark ideas.
Three thumbnails for one video—YouTube decides who sees which one. Source: YouTube Blog
Ask Studio's mobile version will be released by the end of the year. A word of caution from critics: thumbnails "in your channel's style" can lead to an averaged-out version of your own style, and with dynamic thumbnails, you lose control over how your video is presented.
Live Reactions to Other People's Videos
For clippers and streamers, this is probably the biggest news. The Watch With feature will allow you to officially react to an eligible long-form video or stream live, right within YouTube.
Top: the original video. Bottom: the creator's reaction. Source: YouTube Blog
How it works:
- Revenue from ads and donations during the stream goes to the person reacting.
- The original creator gets attribution and additional views in their stats.
- The original creator decides which of their videos can be reacted to—and can disable the feature.
When: By the end of 2026. A limited group of creators has been testing the feature since early September; YouTube has not disclosed the eligibility criteria.
Important for clippers. A reaction stream is new material for clips: a multi-hour reaction stream can be turned into dozens of short videos. However, YouTube has not changed its policy on reused content: clips of other people's videos with minimal editing still cannot be monetized, and YouTube's help page specifically states that permission from the original creator doesn't change this. Criticism, analysis, and significant original editing are explicitly allowed. For a detailed look at how to work with third-party content on a brief, see our article "Clipping: What It Is and How to Earn from Edits".
Other new features for live streams, all coming in 2027:
- Live showdown—duels between co-hosts where chat and donations move a score bar.
- Co-host matching—invite someone who is also currently live to join your stream.
- Automatic live translation—a pilot in English and Spanish in early 2027.
According to YouTube, over 40% of live stream watch time comes from viewers in other countries, so auto-translation could significantly expand a streamer's audience.
Feeds Curated by the Viewer
Viewers will be able to describe what they want to watch in their own words—for example, "witty half-hour podcasts for my commute"—and an AI will create a separate tab for it on the homepage. They can have multiple such tabs, which update automatically, while the main feed remains unchanged.
A feed generated from the description "late night ASMR and rain sounds." Source: YouTube Blog
For now, this is US-only: in the browser and app starting next month, and later on TVs.
Why this matters to creators. If viewers start describing what they want in words, videos will be selected based on meaning, not just watch history. Clear titles and descriptions that explain what a video is about and who it's for will become more important.
Brands and Product Earnings
YouTube is developing several tools for working with brands:
- YouTube Creator Partnerships—a platform where brands find creators for integrations. A creator can give a brand an access code to a video's stats, and the brand can run ads on that video. This is only for members of the Partner Program and only in a specific list of countries—officially 20, but the help page lists 24. No CIS countries are on the list.
- Ask Studio for brands—will help creators respond to briefs and prepare proposals for brands. Initially in select countries, worldwide in early 2027.
- Dynamic ad segments—a single ad placement across 20 of a creator's long-form videos, with regional targeting and a call-to-action button. Currently in testing.
- Shopping affiliate program—commission on products tagged in videos, Shorts, and streams. By year's end, it will be in 35 countries, with Amazon being added in India and Brazil. A viewer from another country will see the same product from a local seller, and the creator will still get a commission. According to YouTube, over 1.3 million creators are already in the program.
The affiliate program with Amazon is expanding beyond the US. Source: YouTube Blog
Requirements for Shopping: be in the Partner Program, have 500+ subscribers and 3,000 watch hours in the last year—or 3 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days.
Face and Voice Protection from AI Clones
The system for finding AI fakes of a creator's face will be available in the mobile app, and later in 2026, it will learn to recognize their voice as well. You must be 18 or older to enroll, with identity verification via an ID and a selfie video. The feature is unavailable in some countries, but YouTube does not publish the list.
A separate point for clippers: the system finds not only fakes but also authentic clips of the creator's videos on other channels. Such videos can be taken down via a copyright claim—another reason to only work with third-party content under a brief and with permission.
AI Comment Moderation
If enabled by the creator, an AI will learn from the comments they delete manually and hold similar ones for review, sending a weekly summary. It doesn't delete anything on its own. This is an experiment coming later in 2026, on desktop only.
The AI holds comments similar to those the creator has already deleted. Source: YouTube Blog
The Big Money News: Partner Program Changes from 2027
The most significant changes for earnings weren't announced at the presentation, but earlier—on August 10th. They take effect on February 1, 2027, and are the first major update to the Partner Program since 2018.
| What's Changing | Now | Starting February 1, 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Entry via long-form videos | 4,000 watch hours in 1 year | 8,000 qualified watch hours in 1 year |
| Entry via Shorts | 10 million Shorts views in 90 days | 20 million qualified Shorts views in 90 days |
| Payouts from Shorts pool | All program members | Only with 10 million qualified Shorts views in 90 days, checked monthly |
| Donations, integrations, Shopping | 500 subs + 3,000 hours or 3M Shorts views | No change |
What you need to know:
- The 10 million view threshold also applies to those already in the program. A channel that doesn't meet it will remain in the program and earn from long-form videos, and Shorts payouts will resume once views reach the threshold again. In return, YouTube promises bonus programs for these creators, but details are not yet available.
- "Qualified" Shorts views are views from public videos, excluding loops and viewers who leave in the first few seconds. Views from ads, image posts, private, and deleted videos do not count.
- You must accept the new terms in Studio by January 31, 2027, otherwise earnings for the respective sections will stop accruing from February 1st.
For context: Shorts get over 200 billion views per day, and creators receive 45% of the total revenue pool for Shorts. The US press has been blunt in its assessment: it will become harder to get monetized and stay monetized, especially for smaller Shorts channels.
What This Means for Creators in Russia and the CIS
The short answer: almost none of the money-related announcements will reach you.
- Since March 10, 2022, creators in Russia cannot join the YouTube Partner Program, and channels with Russian AdSense are not monetized.
- Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan are not on the list of Partner Program countries.
- No CIS country is on the lists for Creator Partnerships or Shopping.
- Super Chat, memberships, and other donation features are disabled for viewers in Russia, meaning live stream duels funded by donations won't work for a Russian audience.
However, the video creation tools—series, AI editing, A/B testing, Ask Studio—are available worldwide. You can make better videos anywhere, but you can't earn from them through YouTube.
Therefore, for creators in the CIS, the main source of income remains direct deals with brands. On Prime Oracles, brands pay for views on your videos on TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Reels—from your very first video, with no multi-million view thresholds and no need for the YouTube Partner Program. Payouts are in USDT, with a $5 minimum withdrawal. For a rundown of how to make money from short-form video in Russia right now, check out our article "How to Earn on TikTok, Shorts, and Reels in Russia in 2026".
What to Do Now
- ☐ Create a series from videos that are best watched in order.
- ☐ Try carousels in the Shorts feed—it's the cheapest new format.
- ☐ Shoot extra footage: two or three versions of your hook and ending. This will be useful for A/B testing later and for your own experiments now.
- ☐ Write clear titles and descriptions—videos will be matched to queries formulated in words.
- ☐ For clippers: Get ready for live reactions as a new source of material, but don't post someone else's content without significant transformation or a brief.
- ☐ If you're in the Partner Program: Calculate your qualified Shorts views for the last 90 days and accept the new terms before January 31, 2027.
Disclaimers
- YouTube's official texts have conflicting timelines: in one place, A/B testing is "already available," in another, it's "2027." We have used the more conservative dates.
- Many new features lack precise dates, country lists, and technical details—YouTube has promised more information later.
- All figures in this article are from YouTube itself and have not been independently verified.
FAQ
What is Made on YouTube?
It's YouTube's annual presentation for creators where the company announces new tools. The 2026 event was held on September 23rd in New York, with over 30 new features announced.
When will AI editing be available in Shorts?
According to the official YouTube forum, in early 2027, on both Android and iPhone.
Can I create a Shorts series now?
Yes, the feature has been rolling out since September 23rd. A series is created in YouTube Studio on a computer from a playlist containing only Shorts up to 180 seconds long.
Will custom feeds be available outside the US?
For now, they are only announced for the US. YouTube has not mentioned other countries.
How many Shorts views will be needed for monetization from 2027?
To join the program, you'll need 20 million qualified Shorts views in 90 days. To receive payouts from the Shorts pool, you'll need 10 million qualified views in 90 days, and this applies to all program members.
Has YouTube allowed reactions to other people's videos?
An official live reaction feature is coming: the person reacting gets the revenue, the original creator gets attribution and views, and can disable reactions. However, the policy on reused content has not changed.
Can I earn money from Shorts in Russia?
Not through the YouTube Partner Program. The remaining options are direct deals with brands, such as briefs with CPV rewards on Prime Oracles.
Sources
- Made on YouTube 2026 overview from YouTube CEO Neal Mohan — YouTube Blog, 09/23/2026
- Shorts Series and new features for TV — YouTube Blog, 09/23/2026
- Studio, AI editing, and creator protection — YouTube Blog, 09/23/2026
- New features for live streams — YouTube Blog, 09/23/2026
- Brands and Shopping — YouTube Blog, 09/23/2026
- Custom feeds and Ask YouTube — YouTube Blog, 09/23/2026
- All announcements with launch dates — Made On page
- YouTube Partner Program changes from 2027 — YouTube Blog, 08/10/2026
- What counts as qualified views — YouTube Blog, 08/12/2026
- Breakdown of new Studio features — TechCrunch, 09/23/2026