YouTube is introducing new features to its Creator Music component that allows users to pay for music licensing during in-stream content. Additionally, the platform will now allow content creators to showcase products within live streams on mobile apps. YouTube recognizes that many users cannot afford the costs associated with music licensing and is therefore implementing a new licensing system that will permit creators to sort license duration by price.

The new licensing system allows creators to pay for music licensing in-stream and filter license duration alongside the price. Creators can take advantage of the new system which enables them to pay for music licensing based on limited usage, providing more chances for high-quality music in their content while reducing costs.

Additionally, YouTube has added new icons within the Creator Music listings to indicate which tracks are available for revenue sharing. These updates provide more cost management capacity, making YouTube’s commercial music options more accessible to a larger audience.

The video creation and sharing platform is also looking to enhance Shorts analytics by introducing a new Data Story element that will specifically highlight how Shorts content is contributing to channel growth. This addition will offer improved analytics capabilities, which can help creators track and analyze their Shorts content's performance better.

Last October, YouTube introduced Data Stories, which are cards that display crucial analytics elements in full-screen. Over time, the company has been progressively introducing these cards with new features. With the rise of Shorts on the app, the company wants to emphasize the extent to which Shorts can influence overall performance and audience reach.

The new Shorts card is being tested with certain users by YouTube and will be available to a larger audience later this year.

YouTube is also launching a feature that allows Android and iOS users to create time-limited community posts. This will provide another way for content creators to interact with their channel subscribers.

YouTube’s also been working on expiring posts for the past year, which appear in-stream with a notification indicating when they will disappear. This feature is perfect for limited-time promotions or updates, adding another interactive element to enhance engagement, without leaving the post permanently in your channel history.

Expired posts can be tracked by creators in the Community tab, but cannot be shared again after the expiration date.

The mobile app of YouTube will soon have the ability to tag and pin products in live streams. So far, creators have only been able to pin products to live streams via Live Control Room on desktop, but this new feature will allow creators to better manage live shopping elements on mobile devices.

YouTube recently announced scheduled product drops for live streams as well. While there hasn't been a lot of interest in live shopping options on the platform as of yet, the company is optimistic that it will become more popular and provide an avenue for broader monetization potential for creators.

YouTube Introduces Cost Handling Tools For Creator Music, Live Shopping Tags For Mobile App