YouTube brings Amazon product tagging to affiliate programme in India

Beyond expanding Amazon product tagging to India, YouTube is adding new features for viewers and creators like Custom Feeds, Live Showdowns, real-time dubbing and more

YouTube is bringing Amazon product tagging to its affiliate programme in India, allowing eligible creators to tag Amazon products in their Shorts, long-form videos and livestreams. The feature will roll out in India and Brazil in the coming weeks, after launching for eligible creators in the US in August.

 

The announcement was made at Made on YouTube 2026, where YouTube also unveiled Custom Feeds, new AI tools for viewers and creators, Live Showdowns, real-time dubbing for livestreams and other updates.

YouTube Shopping expands Amazon tagging to India

YouTube's Shopping affiliate programme is already available in India, having launched in October 2024 with Flipkart and Myntra as its initial merchant partners. The platform is now expanding it Amazon. 

 

 

YouTube first added Amazon product tagging for eligible creators in the US in August, and said at the Made on YouTube event that the feature will expand to India and Brazil in the coming weeks.

YouTube is also expanding the overall Shopping affiliate programme to 35 countries by the end of 2026. For creators with audiences across countries, product tags will show localised links based on where viewers are watching, while creators can earn commissions from those international sales. The company is also introducing affiliate campaigns that let brands and retailers offer incentives such as higher commission rates or bonuses for content featuring selected products.

What else YouTube announced

Custom feeds let users create their own YouTube homepage

 

YouTube is adding Custom Feeds, allowing users to create separate content feeds by describing what they want to watch. A user could, for example, ask for podcasts for a daily commute, long documentaries for the evening or videos from new DIY creators.

 

The feed will be generated based on the prompt and can be refined with further instructions. Users will be able to save multiple custom feeds, which will update with new recommendations.

 

Ask YouTube gets more AI features

 

YouTube is expanding Ask YouTube, its AI-powered conversational feature. The company said it will be used for product recommendations and to help users explore artists and podcasts. 

 

For product review videos, Ask YouTube will allow users to ask questions about the product using text or voice. In search, it can provide organised video recommendations and product comparison tables.

 

YouTube Music gets Ask Music and podcast recommendations

 

YouTube Music is expanding Ask Music, which can create and edit playlists, answer questions about artists and provide suggestions while users create mixes.

 

YouTube is also preparing an AI-powered Your Podcast Lineup feature. It will provide a weekly spoken preview of recommended podcasts. The feature will be available to YouTube Music subscribers and is scheduled to start rolling out later this year.

 

Shorts gets seasons and episodes

 

YouTube is adding support for organising Shorts into seasons and episodes. The feature is aimed at series and short-form shows, including microdramas, and will make individual episodes easier to organise and watch.

 

AI editing comes to Shorts and YouTube Create

 

YouTube is adding a conversational editing tool across Shorts and the YouTube Create app. Creators can start with a suggested prompt or enter their own instructions, then use a conversation to make changes.

 

The tool can automatically trim pauses, reorder clips and make other edits. Creators can still make manual changes to the video.

 

YouTube Studio gets A/B testing and AI assistance

 

YouTube Studio is getting tools for video production, thumbnails and channel management. Creators can receive AI-powered guidance on early drafts and generate thumbnails based on their channel's style.

 

YouTube is also expanding video A/B testing, allowing creators to test up to three different cuts of the same video to see which version holds audience attention better.

 

Live Showdowns will let creators compete

 

YouTube is introducing Live Showdowns, where creators can merge their live streams for head-to-head competitions. Viewers can interact through chats, gifts and Super Chats, with a live leaderboard showing the competition.

 

YouTube is also working on live matchmaking, which will allow creators who may not know each other to be matched for shared livestreams. The matchmaking feature is planned for early next year.

 

Real-time dubbing comes to livestreams

 

YouTube is also adding real-time autodubbing for live streams. Creators will be able to enable translation of their livestreams so viewers in other countries can watch them in their preferred language.

 

The feature is planned for early next year. YouTube said around 40 per cent of live watch time comes from viewers outside a creator's home country.

 

Watch With expands to long-form videos

 

YouTube is expanding Watch With to long-form videos. The feature allows viewers to react live alongside creators and other members of their communities.

 

YouTube is also adding new community features, including members-only spaces and AI-powered comment moderation.

 

GIFs and group chats are coming

 

YouTube is adding the option to post GIFs in comments on regular videos and Shorts. Users will be able to search for animated images directly from the comment box.

 

YouTube is also expanding its direct messaging feature with group chats.