YouTube Brand Deals & Shopping: New Creator Earning Opportunities

YouTube Enhances Monetization Opportunities for Creators

During its Made on YouTube event held on Tuesday, the platform announced a range of new features designed to increase earning potential for creators through brand deals and the YouTube Shopping program. These updates facilitate revenue generation by enabling creators to showcase and tag products within their content.

New Features for Brand Sponsorships

A key development is YouTube’s plan to permit creators to exchange brand sponsorships within their longer-form videos. This introduces a dynamic element to content monetization.

Creators will be empowered to insert brand segments into designated, interchangeable slots in extended videos. Once an agreement with a particular brand concludes, the sponsorship can be removed and the slot offered to another brand, maximizing revenue opportunities.

Initial testing of this functionality will commence with a select group of creators in early next year.

Advancements in YouTube Shopping

The platform is also implementing auto timestamps for product tags. This utilizes an AI-driven system to pinpoint the precise moment a product is referenced and automatically display the corresponding tag. YouTube asserts this will capitalize on peak viewer engagement.

Furthermore, the platform will initiate testing of automated product identification and tagging for all qualifying items mentioned in creator videos later this year.

Expanded Options for Shorts Creators

Creators utilizing YouTube Shorts will soon have the ability to incorporate a direct link to a brand’s website, specifically for brand deal promotions. This streamlines the process for viewers to discover and purchase products, while simultaneously enabling creators to deliver measurable results for their brand partners.

Advertisers will gain access to data demonstrating how Shorts contribute to traffic, extending beyond conventional metrics such as views and likes.

Improved Creator-Brand Connections

YouTube will proactively suggest creators who align well with brands through its creator partnerships hub, a feature integrated within Google Ads. This hub assists brands in connecting with relevant content creators.

Expansion of YouTube Shopping Program

The YouTube Shopping program is being broadened to include more creators and expanded into new markets, notably Brazil. Additional merchants are also being integrated, including Nike, Etsy, Best Buy, SharkNinja, Michaels, and Michael Kors in the U.S., alongside Olive Young and ZigZag in Korea.

Growth and Impact of YouTube’s Monetization Initiatives

As of July 2025, YouTube reported a fivefold increase in gross merchandise volume (GMV) year-over-year. Over 500,000 creators have enrolled in the YouTube Shopping program globally.

Over the past four years, YouTube has distributed more than $100 billion to creators, artists, and media companies, demonstrating its commitment to supporting the creator ecosystem.