Creators on YouTube Now Have Access to Exclusive Shorts for Their Paying Subscribers

YouTube is set to release a unique version of their popular Shorts feature, exclusively for members. This exciting development will allow creators to share short-form videos solely with their paying viewers, giving subscribers access to extra content on top of their current membership perks. These perks currently include custom emojis, badges, livestreams, and more.

The introduction of members-only Shorts has the potential to entice viewers to sign up for a paid membership, as YouTube creators can use this new option to share special announcements, product drops, or limited-time deals. They can also use it for Q&As, behind-the-scenes looks, or sneak peeks of upcoming content.

This move by YouTube comes in response to their competitor TikTok, which recently opened up its subscription offering to more creators. In an effort to expand their monetization tools, TikTok has renamed their LIVE subscription option to simply “Subscription” and is now extending it to non-LIVE creators as well. This means that regular creators will now have the opportunity to post exclusive videos that can only be viewed by paying subscribers.

Once a Short is uploaded, creators can choose to make it available only to their subscribers by selecting the new “members only” option under the “visibility” section. They can also choose to change the visibility of an existing Short to members-only. Additionally, creators have the option to schedule a Short to go from members-only to public, giving their subscribers early access to content before it is released to the general public.

To maintain a personal and organic feel, YouTube encourages creators to keep these members-only Shorts more casual than their public content. This will make subscribers feel like they have a more intimate look into the creator’s life and activities.

Members will be able to view these exclusive short-form videos in the Shorts tab, Subscriptions feed, and on a creator’s channel. The exclusive content will be indicated by a star icon, signifying that it is only available to paying subscribers.

In a recent announcement, YouTube revealed that Shorts currently averages over 70 billion daily views and that over 25% of channels in their Partner Program monetize their Shorts through revenue-sharing. This further highlights the massive potential for creators to earn from these short-form videos on the platform.