What are YouTube’s 5 new features for creators? 

The living room seems to be fast becoming the new prime time for digital creators. In the past year, the number of YouTube channels earning in six figures or more in terms of revenue from TV screens has risen by more than 45%, according to the platform’s latest global data (July 2024–June 2025 vs July 2023–June 2024). 

Riding this momentum, YouTube has announced five new features to help creators make their content sharper, smarter, and more shoppable on the biggest screen in the house.

With over 35 billion hours of shopping-related content watched in the past year, YouTube is bringing commerce closer to the couch. Viewers can soon scan a QR code from their TV to buy products featured in videos, while creators will be able to tag products at specific moments to drive real-time engagement and conversion.

YouTube is expanding its thumbnail file limit from 2MB to 50MB, allowing uploads of 4K-resolution cover images. It’s also testing larger video uploads to support higher-quality originals. A new AI-powered super-resolution tool will automatically upscale older or lower-resolution videos from SD to HD, with plans to support up to 4K in future. Creators will retain full control over these enhancements, with options to keep or opt out of upgrades.

Beyond visuals, YouTube is improving how creators’ channels appear on TV. A redesigned homepage will let viewers browse channels through immersive previews, while a new “Shows” format will help creators group videos into binge-worthy collections. The platform is also refining search on TVs — when a viewer searches from a creator’s channel, that creator’s videos will now appear first in the results, keeping audiences within their ecosystem longer.

The updates come at a time when creators are emerging as one of the most effective media investments for brands. An analysis led by the IPA, based on 220 econometric studies across £133 million creator spending in 28 markets and 36 categories, found that creators now rival television in short-term ROI. For every dollar spent on creators, marketers see roughly equivalent returns within 13 weeks — outperforming general paid social.

But the real impact lies in the long term. Over a two-year period, creators deliver the highest total ROI of any media channel, according to the same IPA study. They also generate the largest long-term media multiplier — a key measure of a channel’s brand-building strength. In other words, creators are now the first digital medium with sustained, measurable advertising effects.

Kurt Wilms, Senior Director of Product Management, YouTube on TV, said the updates aim to make every piece of creator content “a premier experience on TV.” The company is betting big on the television surface, which has become its fastest-growing viewing space globally.

For YouTube, the message is clear: creators are no longer a mobile phenomenon. As audiences shift to TV screens, the platform is reshaping how content looks, performs, and sells — without creators having to do a thing.

“Film once, upload once, and we’ll make sure it looks great on any screen,” said Wilms.