YouTube Empowers Creators to Share Video Performance and Grant Ad Permissions to Brands with Video Linking

YouTube / Creator-Initiated Video Linking 

YouTube launched a beta test of creator-initiated video linking for creators in the YouTube Partner Program with at least 4,000 subscribers.

How It Works

Available in YouTube Studio, creators can now search for a brand under the “Brand Partner” section. From there, they can send a video linking request to the brand, linking their Shorts to the relevant Google Ads account for the advertiser.

If accepted, the video will be linked to the Ads account, allowing the brand to view the organic performance of the video—such as view counts—and use it in ads. Creators also have the ability to remove the link at any time.

Previously, advertisers could only send these requests to creators, but this new feature empowers creators to initiate the process.

Expanding Creator-Brand Collaboration Tools

This adds to YouTube's ongoing efforts to improve how creators and brands can collaborate. From expanding the capabilities of its Paid Promotional label to strengthening its Shopping Affiliate Program, YouTube is steadily enhancing its tools for creator-brand partnerships.

With this update, YouTube is empowering creators to share insights into the performance of their sponsored content with brand partners, as well as providing the ability to give advertisers permissions to run their Shorts as ads. This mirrors similar functionalities seen on Instagram and TikTok, which both have tools for creators to disclose their content and allow advertisers to track organic performance and convert that content into ads.

Implications for Creators, Brands & YouTube

YouTube is coming off a strong quarter with $8.92 billion in advertising revenue. By making it easier for brands to access creators' content for ads, this new feature could drive further ad revenue growth for YouTube, as more brands not only partner with creators on sponsored content but also amplify it via paid media for better targeting and performance

One thing YouTube needs to do is make tools like this more well-known to both creators and brands so they can actually take advantage of them. Although brands could have initiated video linking with creators before, it wasn’t being used as much as TikTok and Instagram's tools.