YouTube Updates: Chat Overlay Ads, Clips & YouTube Create App

New Revenue and Discovery Tools Coming to YouTube

YouTube is rolling out a series of updates designed to enhance how creators monetize live content, how audiences discover short-form highlights, and how videos are edited on the go. From a new ad format for live streams to a dedicated mobile editing application, these changes aim to streamline the workflow between long-form content and Shorts.

Monetizing Live Streams with Chat Overlay Ads

One of the most immediate changes for live streamers is the introduction of Chat Overlay Ads. As the name suggests, these are skippable advertisements that appear as an overlay on top of the live chat interface.

For the viewer, the experience is designed to be minimally intrusive. These ads are set to automatically disappear after 15 seconds. Additionally, users on mobile devices can simply swipe the ad away, while others can click to dismiss it.

From a Creator’s perspective, this represents a new avenue for monetization. By integrating ads directly into the chat area—a high-traffic zone during live broadcasts—YouTube is providing a way to generate additional revenue within the live stream space without necessarily interrupting the main video feed with traditional mid-roll interruptions. These ads are scheduled to launch toward the end of September.

Expanding the YouTube Clips Ecosystem

YouTube is also heavily expanding its “Clips” functionality. Clips allow users to take short segments of a longer video, which can then be shared or curated. While Creators have already been able to view clips that others have made of their content within YouTube Studio, the platform is now moving toward making these clips more visible and accessible.

The Clips Shelf and Home Page Integration

A significant addition is the “Clips Shelf,” a dedicated section on a Creator’s channel page where these community-generated clips will be displayed. This turns the channel into a hub for the best highlights of a Creator’s work, curated by the audience itself.

Furthermore, YouTube is introducing new sections to the YouTube Home page and the side navigation of YouTube.com:

• Clips for You: A personalized section on the home page to help users discover new content.
• Your Clips: A quick-access area for users to find clips they have created.
• Clips of You: A specific section for Creators to see exactly what others are clipping from their videos.

Bridging the Gap to Shorts

The primary goal of these updates—specifically the shelf and the home page sections—is to improve discoverability on mobile. By making it easier to find high-impact clips, YouTube is simplifying the process for Creators to identify viral moments and quickly turn those clips into Shorts. This creates a more efficient pipeline from long-form live or recorded content to short-form vertical video.

A New Way to Edit: The YouTube Create App

Perhaps the most significant update for mobile-first Creators is the upcoming YouTube Create App. This is a dedicated mobile editing application designed to allow Creators to edit their videos directly on their phones.

Beta Launch and Availability

The app has already undergone testing in India, and the beta release is scheduled for September 21st. Following the initial testing phase, the app will be made available in several major markets, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.

Key Features and Capabilities

The YouTube Create App is intended to be a free, basic editing tool. While it may not replace professional desktop software for complex projects, it is designed to offer more functionality than the current YouTube Shorts camera found within the main YouTube app.

A critical feature of the app is its versatility regarding aspect ratios. Creators will be able to edit both vertical and horizontal videos. This means that if you film a traditional horizontal video on your smartphone, you no longer need to transfer the footage to a computer or a third-party app to perform basic edits; you can handle the entire process on your device.

Once the editing is complete, the app allows for direct publishing to YouTube, removing several steps from the upload workflow.

Important Considerations for Beta Users

As with any beta release, Creators should approach the app with a degree of caution. Early reports indicate that there may be some bugs specifically related to the exporting and uploading processes. Because it is a beta version, errors are expected. Creators are encouraged to experiment with the tool to see how it fits their workflow, but they should be aware that the experience may not be perfectly polished at launch.

For those interested in testing the new editor, the app will be available in the Google Play Store starting September 21st.

Original transcript

Transcript

YouTube live streams are getting a new ad format: so-called Chat Overlay ADS. These are skippable ads that, as the name suggests, overlay the chat. A wonderful feature that automatically disappears after 15 seconds or which you can simply click or swipe away if you’re on your phone. They’re set to launch end of September, and I think it’s a great way to generate a bit more revenue in the live stream space. Super!

Staying on the live stream topic: YouTube Clips are currently being heavily expanded or worked on. That’s a fantastic thing! We recently saw that we can view clips others have made of us in YouTube Studio. Now they’re working on the “Clips Shelf” to give you an idea of where this is all heading. Essentially, it will be a shelf on your channel where your clips are displayed. Additionally, a “Clips for You” section is coming to YouTube Home. So when you go to YouTube.com, you’ll see “Your Clips” on the side, and there will also be a “Clips of You” section so you can see what others have clipped of you. I think this is a pretty cool feature. Both the shelf and this “Clips” section are designed to help you quickly find things on mobile so you can easily create Shorts from them. All in all, a very good thing in my opinion.

Now, let’s move on to what I’d call the main topic: There will be a YouTube Create App. It’s already being tested in India, and the beta release will be on September 21st. It’s a mobile editing app, meaning you’ll be able to edit videos on your phone. Free is already a great start! It’s supposed to be a very basic app, so there won’t be many advanced features. However, they’ve hinted that it will have more functions than the YouTube Shorts camera currently offered in the YouTube app. That makes sense, otherwise, you could just use the editor. Importantly, you’ll be able to edit both horizontal and vertical videos. So if you start filming horizontally on your phone, you can also edit it directly on your phone.

The app will be available in the US, UK, France, and Germany—the four major countries in addition to India, where it’s already in the testing phase. And you can, of course, directly publish to YouTube from the app. However, there seem to be a few bugs when it comes to exporting and uploading. So, as always, take it with a grain of salt. Don’t look too closely just yet, just give it a try to see how it feels. It’s a beta, so errors will happen. But if you’re interested, it will be available in your Play Store from the 21st.

And that’s it for this week. I hope you could take something away from it. Let me know if you’ll be testing the Create App from Thursday onwards—maybe you’ll have some feedback for the next video that I can incorporate right away. We’ll see. Until next Saturday, take care and keep going!