YouTube just announced it’s going full shopping channel. At its Made On YouTube event, the platform unveiled a suite of features that essentially transform every video into a potential Amazon storefront.

Here’s what YouTube has cooking in its e-commerce kitchen:

• Dynamic Ad Swapping: Creators can now insert brand segments into their long-form videos and swap them out later for different sponsors. Testing starts early next year, with a full rollout in 2026.
• The AI Wildcard: YouTube is unleashing AI that can automatically identify and tag products mentioned in videos. The system will analyze images, voiceover, and creator input to figure out what you’re trying to sell.
• Shorts Get Shopping Links: YouTube Shorts will soon let creators link directly to brand websites. Testing begins “later this year,” with a broad launch next year.
• Exclusive Merch for “Top Viewers”: YouTube is testing a feature that lets “top viewers” buy exclusive merchandise from their favorite creators.

From a creator perspective, this actually makes sense in a twisted kind of way. Why create new sponsored content when you can just swap sponsors in your existing viral hits? It’s passive income meets active advertising, and it might actually help creators monetize their back catalog in ways that weren’t possible before.

In summary, every platform is racing to become a shopping destination. TikTok has TikTok Shop. Instagram is basically a mall that occasionally shows you pictures of your friends. And now YouTube, the last bastion of “just watch this weird video,” is joining the gold rush.

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