YouTube drops new AI tools to supercharge Shorts
From auto-edited drafts to AI-generated videos and turning speech into music, YouTube’s latest AI updates make Shorts faster, easier, and more fun to create.
YouTube is giving Shorts creators an AI-powered upgrade. At its recent ‘Made on YouTube’ event, the platform revealed a wave of new AI-powered features designed to make content creation quicker, smoother, and more fun. For musicians and creators, these tools could mean more opportunities to jump on trends, create engaging content, and connect with fans in new ways.
Veo 3 Fast- video generation on the go
YouTube is introducing Veo 3 Fast, a mobile-first version of Google DeepMind’s Veo 3 video generator. Specifically made for Shorts, Veo 3 Fast is capable of generating 480p video clips direct from your phone. Shorts creators have been able to generate videos, but Veo 3 Fast also brings accompanying sound generation for the first time.
It’s easy to get started too. Simply hit the sparkle button in the top right corner when you create.
The tool is rolling out to creators now in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, with more regions coming soon.
More Veo 3 capabilities
On top of that, YouTube is bringing some fun new Veo 3-powered extras. You can add motion to still images, letting you turn a still image into a dance video. Or, you can apply unique visual styles like pop art or origami. You can even drop in new objects or effects with a simple text prompt.
Expect to see these features land in the coming months.
Edit with AI: Instant first drafts
Not sure how to get started? The new Edit with AI tools takes raw footage from your camera roll and pulls together a draft for you. It highlights the best moments, stitches them together with music and transitions, and can even add an AI-generated voiceover in English or Hindi.
For anyone struggling to get their ideas off the ground, this feature could be a massive help. It’s now being tested within Shorts and in the YouTube Create app. But, it should roll out to select markets in the coming weeks.
Speech to Song turns videos into soundtracks
Here’s a cool one: Speech to Song. This remixing tool turns spoken dialogue from a video into a catchy soundtrack. Powered by Google’s Lyria 2 AI model, it lets you set the mood of the track whether you want it “chill”, “danceable”, or “fun”. The final audio credits the original creator, so it also opens up new remix opportunities within Shorts.
YouTube plans to roll this feature out soon, with more US creators gaining access in the coming weeks.
Transparency first
With all these new AI tools, some may worry about authenticity. Well, YouTube says it’s tackling this by using SynthID watermarks and clear content labels to show when Shorts are AI-generated.
Why it matters
For artists and content creators, these tools lower the barrier to creating engaging content. Whether you want to more easily hop on dance trends by adding motion to your photos, or quickly want to generate ideas, YouTube Shorts can now lend a helping hand.
The result? Faster content turnaround, more ways to experiment, and hopefully a more engaged audience.