YouTube has introduced several new features and best practices for creators this week, enhancing engagement options and monetization capabilities on the platform.
New Gift Combo Feature
YouTube has announced "combo gifting", a new feature designed to make it easier for viewers to send multiple gifts during live streams. Previously, viewers could only purchase jewel bundles to send gifts in succession, but now they can initiate a gift combo that encourages repeated gifting.
The combo feature works with a special combo button that appears for a few seconds after a gift is sent. When viewers tap this button, it extends the display time and increases a combo counter visible to all stream viewers. The gift remains pinned on screen for the duration of the combo.
This feature aims to enhance viewer engagement and help creators generate increased revenue through repeat gifting. Currently, gift comboing is available to US viewers and creators using the YouTube app on Vertical Live.
Limited-Time Birthday Gifts
In celebration of YouTube's 20th birthday, the platform has introduced limited-time gifts including a birthday cake and party hat for vertical live streams. Creators are encouraged to inform their fans about these special gift options.
Best Practices for Optimizing Gifts
YouTube has shared three key strategies for creators to maximize the gift feature:
- Express gratitude - Acknowledge and thank viewers who send gifts in real time to make supporters feel valued and encourage future engagement
- Engage with gifts - Incorporate gifts into content with unique reactions or inside jokes to specific gifts
- Highlight gift opportunities - Call attention to gifts during streams and explain how viewers can participate, while clarifying that gifts are currently only available in the US
Auto-Dubbing Expansion
YouTube has expanded its auto-dubbing feature, which was previously in limited rollout. Now, all creators in the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) have early access to auto-dubbing and can self-enroll through YouTube Studio. The platform is working to make this feature available to more creators in the future.
Mid-Roll Ad Updates
YouTube recently announced new mid-roll ad features to help creators optimize ad opportunities ahead of upcoming changes to the ad system in May 2025. These updates include:
- A new feedback feature in YouTube Studio showing which manual mid-roll ad slots are unlikely to serve ads
- The ability to combine manual and automatic mid-roll ad slots on a single video
- Starting in May, YouTube will further tune ad serving models to place more mid-roll ads at natural break points to increase creator earnings and viewer retention
To prepare for these improvements, YouTube will automatically add automatic ad slots to existing videos that already have manual mid-roll ad slots. Creators can opt out of this feature in the earn tab in YouTube Studio before May 12th, 2025 if they prefer to maintain control over their ad placements.
Creators are advised to review their highest-performing videos and adjust mid-roll placements as needed to optimize for the upcoming changes.
