5 YouTube Updates Aussie Businesses Need to Know

Posted by SMPerth December 6, 2023 10 Min Read

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YouTube updates happen all the time, with new features aimed at helping creators and business streamline their video processes.

It’s fair to say that the explosion of TikTok in recent years has forced YouTube to evolve sooner than they would have liked. 

Would Shorts exist without TikTok? We’ll never know. 

However, what we do know is YouTube updates happen all the time. And historically, Australia and New Zealand are the guinea pigs for new features.

If you’re keen to stay ahead of all the latest YouTube updates that might impact your marketing strategy, you’re in the right place. 

Let’s dive into the recent YouTube updates that Aussie businesses trying to find an audience on YouTube need to know about. 

#1: YouTube updates tools for creators

We all know that businesses just love vertical integration, so it’s no surprise that YouTube, the largest video platform in the world, doesn’t want you to just upload or stream on their platform—they also want you to create with it.

So, while YouTube updates and continues to dream about becoming a video monopoly, they’ve decided to roll out some new tools aimed at keeping creators creating within the YouTube ecosystem of apps. 

YouTube Create Mobile App

Big news in the worls of YouTube updates is a new app called YouTube Create.

YouTube Create, a new app as part of some recent YouTube updates

YouTube’s answer to CapCut is in beta for Android users in select regions. However, the new app looks packed with mobile-friendly editing tools. From trimming clips to auto-generating captions and a library of royalty-free tunes, it’s got the lot. 

A standout feature? The beat-matching tech lets you sync video edits seamlessly with your chosen soundtrack.

AI-Powered Dream Screen

Like every other company in the world right now, a host of YouTube updates look set to jump on the AI train. 

Dream Screen, a new feature that lets you whip up AI-generated image or video backgrounds for your Shorts, looks like a game-changer for creators. Whether it’s the Sydney skyline, the Outback, or a futuristic Melbourne, your imagination’s the limit.

If you can dream it, you can screen it. 

#2: All About YouTube Shorts

Linking Your Shorts to Other Content

You can now link your Shorts to other YouTube content. This could be huge for Aussie businesses, potentially driving more traffic to longer videos or product showcases.

YouTube Shorts: Your Questions Answered

Todd Sherman, the Director of Product Management at YouTube Shorts, shed light on some burning questions:

  • Shorts Algorithm vs Long-Form Algorithm? They’re similar, but the context differs.
  • What Counts as a View on Shorts? It’s all about engagement, not just a set duration.
  • Ideal Length for a Short? Keep it snappy, under 60 seconds.
  • Custom Thumbnails for Shorts? You can pick a frame, but no fully custom images.
  • Does Posting Time Matter? Not really, unless it’s breaking news.
  • Reposting Shorts for More Views? Beware, it might look spammy on YouTube.

#3: Monetising on YouTube

To simplify how creators turn on ads in YouTube Studio, YouTube recently removed individual ad controls for pre-roll, post-roll, skippable, and non-skippable ads on newly uploaded videos. 

It’s important to note that these changes don’t impact the ad content being shown; they only affect the ad format. 

Note: Previously uploaded content will retain existing ad format selections, and creators still control mid-roll ads.

#4: YouTube Advertising

Google Ads has rolled out new tools that will “Help your marketing go further, faster, with AI-powered solutions”. 

With Video Analytics, you’ll get feedback on your ads and tips to make them even better for the Aussie market.

Agency Conversations: Accelerating with Automation – YouTube

#5: YouTube’s Testing New Features

YouTube Playables

Some users might spot Playables – games playable right on YouTube. This could be a fresh way to keep users engaged and might even become a new ad spot.

Here’s what YouTube had to say about Playables: 

“Playables are games that can be played directly on YouTube on both desktop and mobile devices. If you’re part of this experiment, you’ll see a section on YouTube called “Playables” that will appear alongside other content on the home feed. We’re testing this with a limited number of users to start.”

Channel Shelf for Multiple Uploads

YouTube’s trialling a content shelf in the Subscriptions feed, bundling recent uploads from one creator. This could help Aussie viewers find your content more easily.

Here’s what YouTube had to say about channel shelf in the Subscriptions feed:

“We’re starting to test bundling multiple uploads from a single creator within a short amount of time into a shelf in the Subscriptions feed. We’re experimenting with this for a few reasons – as a way to make it easier for viewers to find the content they’re looking for, to put less pressure on creators to upload multiple times a day, and to make it simpler for viewers to engage with the content in the shelf and/or navigate to other content while scrolling in their feed. We’re testing this update with a small percentage of viewers to start.”

Automatic Key Concepts for Learning Videos

For those in the education space, YouTube is testing “Key Concepts” on some videos. These AI-driven summaries could make content more accessible and engaging.

Here’s a little more about “Key Concepts”: 

“We’re testing a new, automatic way to identify key concepts covered in academic learning videos and surface more information about these concepts in the form of images and short text snippets in real-time – directly on the video’s watch page! Creators have the option to opt-out of ‘Key Concepts’ at the video level in YouTube Studio (on Desktop go to Content > Details [for a particular video] > Select ‘Show More’ > Uncheck ‘Allow automatic concepts’). While this is being tested on a very small subset of English-language learning videos, all creators can see the opt-out checkbox, marked as an “Experiment” in desktop Studio. For now, this is being tested on a small set of English-language videos related to educational topics taught in schools (across subjects such as biology, physics and chemistry). The experiment will take place on mobile only, for a limited number of people watching YouTube.”

Comment Search Filters & Shorts Q&A Sticker

Managing comments on mobile might get more accessible with new filters. Some creators can add a Q&A sticker to Shorts, letting viewers interact more.

Here’s more detail about Q&A Stickers for Shorts on Mobile: 

“To make it even easier for Shorts creators to build communities with their audiences, we’re experimenting with stickers that allow creators to ask questions of their viewers. Creator questions can be customized (example: “What song should I dance to next?) and viewers can reply via comments. Audience responses are visible to other viewers who can see them when reading comments posted on the Short where the sticker was used. This experiment is rolling out to a small percentage of creators; creators in the experiment can use Q&A stickers when creating Shorts on mobile devices and their audiences will be able to view the stickers across all devices, but stickers aren’t tappable on desktop or TV.”

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