YouTube exploring new monetization for Shorts, verifiable NFTs, rolling out collaborative live streams

Neal Mohan, YouTube‘s chief product officer, has laid out the company’s product roadmap for 2022, citing releases based on data and feedback from the community.

In the realm of Shorts, YouTube says it is exploring new monetization features beyond the Shorts Fund, including helping creators make branded content through BrandConnect, integrating Super Chats into Shorts, and making Shorts shoppable.

In terms of live video, where YouTube says watch time tripled between Jan. 2020 and Dec. 2021, the video giant will now let creators go live together via collaborative streams, and Mohan confirmed that it is testing gifted memberships, which are planned to roll out more widely in coming months.

Mohan also spoke of the opportunities that lie within web3 and NFTs. “Giving a verifiable way for fans to own unique videos, photos, art, and even experiences from their favorite creators could be a compelling prospect for creators and their audiences,” he wrote. “There’s a lot to consider in making sure we approach these new technologies responsibly, but we think there’s incredible potential as well.”

Mohan teased other new developments, including the ability to watch YouTube on TV screens – its fastest growing screen in 2021, with 700 hours being watched daily – by navigating with mobile phones. He also said that YouTube is redesigning its YouTube TV product with a streamlined interface that gives viewers more control.

Finally, Mohan touched on shopping, which YouTube has previously said will serve as a flagship focus this year.

“We’re thinking about shoppable videos, live shopping, and, more broadly, how shopping appears across the app,” he wrote, noting that last November’s weeklong Holiday Stream and Shop clocked over 2 million views and 1.4 million live chat messages.