YouTube launches Communities to connect creators and fans and generate “a vibrant sense of belonging”

YouTube has introduced Communities, a new space that will serve as a meeting point to connect creators and followers, as well as to generate “a vibrant sense of belonging” to the users of the platform.

The company has taken advantage of its Made On YouTube event, which it held this Wednesday, to unveil “new ways to connect people, stimulate creativity, boost businesses and Promote new voices” on the platform.

One of the main novelties presented at this meeting is called Communities, spaces within the channels of content creators to connect with their followers and which serve as a “nerve center” to discuss videos, share ‘fan art’ and connect with other people with like-minded people to generate “a vibrant sense of belonging.”

The company said that while fans and creators can already connect in the Community tab, it developed this feature to “create a space where, for the first time, subscribers could chat with each other and with the creator directly,” according to a press release.

What makes this new option different, therefore, is that fans can start and Share conversations and commentsand the creator can control who can participate. Initially, only subscribers can post in Communities, but Google is considering more controls that could be useful for creators as Communities are tested.

He also said that conversations, which encourage fan participation, transcend individual times and posts, allowing topics to flow organically and continue over time.

Communities are already available in select users’ channels and on mobile. However, Google hopes to expand the test to more people later this year, before rolling it out to more channels in early 2025.

Another tool presented at this event is Hype, a feature designed for users to join emerging creators and with which Google seeks to make these channels grow by connect them with new audiences.

This way, viewers will be able to promote content from these creators and they will earn points towards a weekly country-by-country leaderboard, putting them in front of new audiences.

Google has also said that this is a way for fans to let their favorite creators know what content they like the most, and that the feature is currently being tested in Turkey, Taiwan and Brazil.

On the other hand, the firm has indicated that it has been testing its dubbing tool with a small group of creators and that it will begin to bring it “to hundreds of thousands more” in the coming months. plans to expand the number of languages ​​it supportsfrom Spanish, Portuguese and French to Italian.

Made On YouTube also mentioned a change in YouTube Studio, which has now been renamed Community to present itself as a new hub for fan interaction, which can also use AI-enhanced responses.

PARTNER AND AFFILIATE PROGRAMS

YouTube has also stressed the need to “unlock even more avenues to build a business and a platform of their own” within its YouTube Partner Program. In this section, it has presented the Gifts (‘Gifts’), powered by Jewels.

This tool allows you to send gifts during live broadcasts in a vertical format to show support for creators. For the moment, this function is only available in the United States, where the technology firm will test it before expanding it to other regions.

YouTube has also announced the expansion of YouTube Shopping, already available in the United States and South Korea, which has arrived in Indonesia and will also land in Thailand and Vietnam in the coming weeks.

Finally, he mentioned a redesign of the start interface, which will allow content creators to organize their videos into seasons and episodes, making them more accessible and visually appealing.