YouTube announces Community, 'Hyped' videos, and ads on paused screens

At Made on YouTube event, the video streaming platform from Google announced several new features for both viewers and creators

Google’s video streaming platform YouTube announced new updates and features at its Made on YouTube event on September 18. The changes include a redesigned channel page for the YouTube app on smart TVs, a new Community hub for creators, a “Hype” option for videos, and more. YouTube has also reportedly started placing ads on the pause screen of videos.

Here is everything new coming to YouTube:

YouTube: What’s new

Redesigned TV app

YouTube announced that creators will soon be able to organise their content into seasons and episodes, making it easier for users on the YouTube app for smart TVs to browse their videos. Creators can also add preview videos on their channel page, which will start playing automatically when a viewer visits their page. This preview will essentially inform users about the channel’s content.

Communities

The company is adding a new Community section on creators' channels, serving as a “central hub to discuss videos, share fan art, connect with like-minded individuals, and build a vibrant sense of belonging.” This will facilitate easier connections between subscribers and creators.

Communities are currently available for select creators, and the company plans to test this feature with more channels this year before expanding it in 2025.

Hype

YouTube introduced “Hype” as a new option alongside existing features to like and share videos. This feature will be available only for emerging channels with fewer than 500,000 subscribers.

YouTube will also add a new “Hyped” leaderboard showcasing the “top 100 hyped videos from the week” for increased visibility. Users can hype up to three times per week, with the option to purchase “additional hypes” planned for the future.

Auto dubbing for creators

For YouTube creators, the company will introduce a new feature in YouTube Studio that allows them to generate translated audio tracks for their videos in different languages. This feature is currently under beta testing and will expand to more creators in the coming months, supporting languages such as Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, and more.

Gifts

YouTube announced that users will be able to purchase “digital items” called Jewels and Gifts, which can be used to engage and react during live streams. This will also create a new revenue stream for creators. The feature will first launch on vertical live streams and will be exclusive to the US before expanding to other regions in the coming months.

Pause screen ads

In a statement to The Verge, YouTube communications manager Oluwa Falodun confirmed that advertisers can now target paused screens. “As we’ve seen strong responses from both advertisers and viewers, we have widely rolled out Pause ads to all advertisers,” he stated.

According to reports, YouTube has already begun placing pop-up-like ad windows on paused screens between videos.