YouTube levels up Live with new tools to go live, get discovered, and earn
From AI-generated highlights to side-by-side ads, YouTube is making livestreaming more creator-friendly than ever.
In a series of announcements from YouTube’s ‘Made on YouTube’ event, the platform has announced a suite of new tools designed to make livestreaming easier, more discoverable, and more profitable for creators.
Unsurprisingly, the features come following the strong performance of Live on YouTube. In fact, YouTube says over 30% of daily logged-in viewers tuned into live content in Q2 2025.
Developed following community feedback, YouTube’s new Live features coming.
So, what’s new?
Getting started
To ease the nerves of going live, YouTube is adding a practice space so creators can test their setup before going live. There’s no audience, no pressure. It’s a safe space to experiment and iron out the kinks, without an audience or the pressure. When you feel ready, then you can go live.
For those stuck for ideas, YouTube’s Playables feature is expanding. Coming next month, creators will soon have access to 75+ games they can play live with their audience. Think of it as instant, interactive content, that you can monetise while streaming.
Tools for discoverability
YouTube is rolling out a few new tricks to help you get discovered and grow:
AI-powered highlights
A new feature will easily generate highlight clips for Shorts from your livestream, all thanks to AI. It’s an easy way to keep content flowing and reach new audiences beyond the stream itself.
Expect to see this feature in the coming weeks.
Horizontal and vertical streaming (at the same time)
Currently in testing, creators will be able to stream in both horizontal and vertical formats simultaneously. That means mobile and desktop viewers each get an experience optimised for their screen, complete with a unified chat that brings everyone together.
Live reactions
Creators will soon be able to go live and react to other eligible livestreams on YouTube, from breaking news to other creators’ streams. This lets creators provide commentary on live content as it happens. Watchalong and reaction content is booming, and YouTube is leaning in.
Tests will begin early next year, before expanding further.
More ways to earn on Live
Monetisation has always been a big draw for creators, and YouTube is add new ways to do so:
Side-by-side ads
Instead of interrupting the stream, ads will now run alongside them. For many creators, running ads involves a layer of hesitation as it could push viewers away.
This removes that hesitation, helping creators get paid without pushing viewers away.
Easily switch to members-only
Creators with channel memberships can now seamlessly flip a public livestream into a members-only stream. That’s perfect for dropping exclusive content, strengthening your community, and encouraging new sign-ups to a paid membership.
Why this matters
YouTube says that these new features are “part of the largest upgrade to Live’ that the platform has ever made. For artists and creators in the music industry, these updates could be huge.
Livestreaming is already a powerful way to connect with fans in real-time. Now with easier discoverability and less disruptive monetisation tools, it’s becoming an even stronger tool for building communities and driving revenue.
Whether YouTube’s Live upgrades will rival platforms like Twitch remains to be seen. But one thing’s clear: it’s now easier than ever for creators to go live, get noticed, and earn on YouTube.