YouTube Unveils New Features at Made on YouTube 2026

YouTube announced a wide range of updates at Made on YouTube 2026, its annual event highlighting new features for viewers, creators and livestreamers.

The announcements cover personalised recommendations, AI-assisted creation, Shorts, YouTube Music, livestreaming, creator protection, shopping and brand partnerships. Some features are rolling out now, while others are planned for later this year or 2027.

Custom Feeds Offer Personalised Discovery

One of the key viewer updates at Made on YouTube 2026 is Custom Feeds.

The feature will let users create dedicated homepage feeds by describing the type of content they want to discover. Feeds can be based on interests, routines or moods, and users can create multiple feeds.

YouTube plans to initially make Custom Feeds available to users in the US across web, mobile and TV.

Ask YouTube Expands Into Shopping

Ask YouTube is gaining shopping-related capabilities. The conversational feature can provide organised video recommendations and product information, including comparison-style results based on user preferences.

After opening a relevant video, viewers can continue asking questions about the product from the watch page, making product research more closely connected to video discovery.

Shorts Gets Series and Posts Updates

YouTube is introducing Shorts Series, allowing creators to organise connected Shorts into seasons and episodes. The feature provides a more structured format for creators producing recurring or episodic short-form content.

Shorts Series is rolling out across web, mobile and TV.

YouTube is also expanding Posts. Posts can appear in the Shorts feed, while the company is preparing to bring Posts to TV in the coming months.

YouTube Music Adds New Discovery Features

YouTube Music is receiving Podcast Lineup, a personalised spoken guide that provides a weekly preview of recommended podcast shows and episodes.

Ask Music is also gaining new capabilities, including options for customising music queues and exploring information about artists.

The updates are planned for YouTube Music and Premium subscribers worldwide.

AI Tools Help Creators Produce Content

AI is a major part of the creator-focused announcements.

YouTube is developing conversational editing for Shorts and the YouTube Create app. Creators will be able to describe changes they want made to their footage, with AI assisting with tasks such as trimming sections, rearranging clips and refining drafts.

YouTube Studio is also gaining Ask Studio, which is designed to provide feedback and insights around content and channel performance. The platform is adding further video testing and thumbnail tools to help creators compare content options.

New Livestreaming Features Are Coming

YouTube is developing several new livestreaming capabilities.

Live Showdowns will introduce interactive head-to-head livestream formats where viewers can participate through chats, gifts and Super Chats. The feature is planned for 2027.

YouTube is also preparing Live auto-dubbing, which will translate a creator’s speech into another language during a livestream. The initial pilot is scheduled for early 2027, beginning with English and Spanish.

The platform is also expanding Watch With, allowing creators to react live alongside eligible long-form videos.

More Tools for Creator Protection

YouTube is testing new tools to help creators manage communities and protect their likeness.

An opt-in AI comment moderation system can learn a creator’s preferred approach to handling comments. The platform is also expanding likeness detection on mobile and working on technology that can combine facial and voice signals when identifying potential matches.

These features are being rolled out or tested and are not universally available.

Shopping and Brand Partnership Updates

YouTube is also expanding opportunities for creators to earn from their content.

The company plans to extend its Shopping affiliate programme to more markets and expand product-tagging capabilities. It has also announced Amazon product tagging for India and Brazil, with additional markets planned.

Creator Partnerships is receiving new tools intended to make collaboration between creators and brands easier. YouTube is also developing Affiliate Campaigns to help brands work with creators through payment and commission-based campaigns.

FAQs

What is Made on YouTube 2026?

Made on YouTube 2026 is YouTube’s annual event for announcing new platform features and tools for viewers, creators and livestreamers.

What are Custom Feeds?

Custom Feeds let users create personalised homepage feeds based on the subjects, interests or types of content they describe.

What is Shorts Series?

Shorts Series allows creators to arrange connected Shorts into seasons and episodes, making episodic short-form content easier to follow.

Is Live auto-dubbing available now?

No. YouTube plans to begin piloting the feature in early 2027, initially supporting English and Spanish.

What is Ask Studio?

Ask Studio is an AI-assisted creator tool designed to provide insights and feedback related to content and channel performance.

Are all the announced features available now?

No. YouTube has different rollout schedules. Some features are available or rolling out, while others remain in testing or are planned for later releases.

Conclusion

The Made on YouTube 2026 event introduced updates across viewing, content creation, music, Shorts, livestreaming and creator businesses.

Custom Feeds aim to make discovery more personalised, while Ask YouTube is expanding into product research. Shorts is gaining an episodic format, and YouTube Music is adding new podcast and music discovery tools.

Creators are also receiving AI-assisted production features, improved Studio tools, moderation and likeness-protection features, alongside expanded shopping and brand partnership opportunities. Meanwhile, several livestreaming developments, including Live auto-dubbing and Live Showdowns, are planned for 2027.

The announcements show YouTube continuing to combine personalised discovery, AI-assisted creation and new creator-focused tools across its platform.