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To mark its 20th anniversary, YouTube has rolled out several updates aimed at enhancing creator tools, boosting audience engagement, and optimizing monetization. Among the highlights are the launch of gift combos for live streams, the expansion of auto-dubbing to all YouTube Partner Program members, and improvements to the mid-roll ad system. These changes are designed to help creators increase their revenue and better manage their content strategies.
Gift Combos: A New Way to Engage Live Stream Viewers
YouTube has introduced Combo Gifting—a feature that allows viewers to send multiple gifts consecutively during Vertical Live streams. When a viewer sends a gift, a “Combo” button appears for a few seconds. Tapping this button extends the gift’s on-screen display and adds to a visible combo counter, encouraging repeated gifting.
This feature is intended to drive audience interaction and increase creators’ earnings through continued gifting. The gifted item remains pinned on screen for the entire duration of the combo. Currently, combo gifting is available only to U.S.-based viewers and creators using the YouTube app for Vertical Live.
As part of the platform’s 20th birthday celebration, YouTube has also introduced limited-time gifts such as a birthday cake and party hat for Vertical Live. Creators are encouraged to inform their communities about these festive options.
YouTube’s Best Practices for Boosting Gift Engagement:
- Express gratitude in real time to acknowledge supporters and encourage further participation.
- Integrate gifts into the stream content with reactions or personalized responses.
- Highlight gift options and explain how viewers can participate (noting that gifts are currently available only in the U.S.).
Auto-Dubbing Expansion: Making Content More Accessible
YouTube has extended its auto-dubbing feature to all YouTube Partner Program creators. Eligible users can now enable this feature directly via YouTube Studio. Auto-dubbing makes it easier for creators to reach global audiences without investing in traditional voiceover production. YouTube plans to expand access to even more creators in the future.
Mid-Roll Ad System Updates: Better Monetization Control
YouTube also announced several changes to the mid-roll ad system aimed at improving monetization and viewer experience:
- A new feedback tool in YouTube Studio will indicate which manually placed ad slots are unlikely to serve ads.
- Creators will now be able to combine manual and automatic mid-roll ad placements within a single video.
- Starting in May 2025, YouTube will automatically add auto ad slots to existing videos that already include manual mid-rolls. Creators who prefer full control can opt out of this change in the “Earn” tab of YouTube Studio by May 12.
To prepare for the upcoming changes, YouTube encourages creators to review their top-performing videos and adjust mid-roll placements as needed.
Conclusion
These latest updates reinforce YouTube’s commitment to expanding creative and monetization tools. For marketers, creators, and brands, staying informed and adapting to these changes is essential for making the most of YouTube’s growing ecosystem in 2025.
This article available in Ukrainian.
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