Industry News
Feb 23, 2026
YouTube Premium Reaches 100 Million Subscribers Globally
YouTube Premium hits 100M paid subscribers with ad-free streaming and downloads.
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đź“° YouTube News & Updates
Stay updated with the latest changes, trends, and opportunities
Creator News
Feb 23, 2026
MrBeast Breaks Record: First Channel to Hit 400 Million Subscribers
Jimmy Donaldson becomes first YouTuber to reach 400 million total subscribers.
Monetization
Feb 23, 2026
Shorts Revenue Share Increases to 50% for Top Creators
YouTube boosts Shorts revenue share from 45% to 50% for channels over 100K subscribers.
Platform Updates
Feb 23, 2026
YouTube Announces New AI Features for Creators in 2026
YouTube unveils AI auto-dubbing, thumbnail generation, and smart editing tools for creators.
feature
Feb 22, 2026
YouTube Introduces Combined Horizontal and Vertical Live Streaming
New feature allows creators to broadcast in both formats simultaneously with a unified shared chat experience.
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Feb 22, 2026
Veo 3 Fast AI Video Generation Tool Now Available for All Creators
YouTube launches Veo 3 in Shorts, enabling creators to generate high-quality video clips from text prompts with minimal delay.
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Feb 22, 2026
YouTube Algorithm February 2026: Major Browse Feed Overhaul
YouTube rolls out significant Browse feed changes, moving from broad topics to viewer-specific clustering for deeper personalization.
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Feb 22, 2026
YouTube Cracks Down on AI Slop: Low-Quality AI Content Being Removed
Platform actively removing low-quality AI-generated content that mimics popular formats to protect human creators.
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Feb 22, 2026
A/B Testing for Titles and Thumbnails Rolling Out to All Creators
Creators can now test up to three different titles, thumbnails, or combinations for long-form videos to maximize performance.
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Feb 21, 2026
YouTube Shorts Reaches 200 Billion Daily Views: Complete 2026 Statistics
YouTube Shorts has reached a massive milestone of 200 billion daily views with 2 billion monthly users, surpassing both TikTok and Instagram Reels. New data shows that channels combining Shorts and long-form content grow 41% faster, while 74% of Shorts views come from non-subscribers, making it YouTube's primary discovery engine.
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Feb 21, 2026
YouTube Live Streaming Gets Major Upgrade with AI-Powered Features
YouTube has rolled out its biggest live streaming update ever, with over 30% of viewers now engaging with live content daily. New features include a rehearsal mode for private testing, combined horizontal and vertical streaming with shared chat, React Live for stream-on-stream reactions, and AI-powered "Best Moments" that automatically create Shorts from live streams.
monetization
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Feb 21, 2026
YouTube Monetization Shifts to Quality-Based Revenue Model in 2026
YouTube's 2026 monetization strategy emphasizes "satisfied watch time" over raw views. The platform now calculates a quality ratio—views where viewers finished or watched 80%+, engaged positively, and returned—giving algorithmic boosts to channels with high-quality engagement. This change particularly impacts Shorts creators, where RPM ranges from $0.20-$3.00 depending on retention quality.
algorithm
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Feb 21, 2026
YouTube Algorithm Now Prioritizes Viewer Satisfaction Over Raw Watch Time
YouTube's 2026 algorithm has fundamentally shifted from prioritizing raw watch time to viewer satisfaction metrics. The February 2026 Browse feed overhaul now clusters videos based on micro-niches within viewer watch history, benefiting creators who serve specific audiences. This change means shorter videos with high satisfaction can now outperform longer videos with poor retention.
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Feb 21, 2026
YouTube Introduces AI Video Summarization Feature
YouTube rolls out AI-powered video summaries to help viewers quickly understand content before watching.
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Feb 20, 2026
CPM Rates Rise 15% in Finance Niche for Q1 2026
Advertisers increase spending on finance content as economic uncertainty drives viewer interest.
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Feb 19, 2026
Faceless Channels Dominate Trending: AI Content Revolution
AI-generated faceless content channels are now 40% of trending videos in education and entertainment.
monetization
Feb 18, 2026
YouTube Shorts Fund Extended Through 2027
Google announces extension of the Shorts Creator Fund with increased payouts for top performers.
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Feb 17, 2026
YouTube Suffers Major Global Outage Affecting 300,000+ Users
On February 17, 2026, YouTube experienced a significant global outage lasting approximately 90 minutes, affecting over 300,000 users worldwide. The disruption was caused by a failure in Google's recommendations system, preventing videos from appearing across YouTube's homepage, Shorts feed, and related services including YouTube TV and YouTube Music. The outage peaked around 5:45 PM PST with the U.S. West Coast experiencing the most severe impact.
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Feb 15, 2026
YouTube Shorts Monetization Expands: New Revenue Sharing Model for 2026
YouTube announces expanded monetization for Shorts creators with higher revenue share and new ad formats.
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Feb 12, 2026
YouTube Algorithm Update: Watch Time vs Engagement Shift
Major algorithm changes prioritize viewer satisfaction scores over pure watch time metrics.
trend
Feb 10, 2026
Channels Combining Shorts and Long-Form Content Grow 41% Faster
YouTube data reveals that channels using both Shorts and long-form content grow 41% faster than those focusing on a single format, with 74% of Shorts views coming from non-subscribers.
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Feb 10, 2026
New YouTube Studio Features: AI-Powered Thumbnail Generator
YouTube introduces built-in AI thumbnail creation directly in YouTube Studio.
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Feb 8, 2026
YouTube Introduces Likeness Detection Tool in Studio
To protect creators, YouTube expanded its likeness protection technology with a new Studio feature that helps creators detect, manage, and request removal of unauthorized AI-generated videos using their facial likeness.
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Feb 8, 2026
YouTube Partner Program Requirements Updated for 2026
Lowered subscriber threshold and new paths to monetization announced.
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Feb 7, 2026
YouTube Auto-Dubbing Now Available to All Creators with 27 Languages
YouTube has expanded its auto-dubbing feature to all channels globally, supporting real-time translation between 27 languages to English and English to 20 languages. The update includes expressive speech capabilities in 8 languages that capture creator emotion, smart filtering to avoid dubbing music or silent content, and is testing lip-sync alignment. This feature helps creators reach global audiences without manual translation work.
feature
Feb 5, 2026
YouTube Adds A/B Testing for Titles and Thumbnails
Creators can now test up to three different titles, thumbnails, or combinations for long-form videos to maximize performance and optimize click-through rates.
monetization
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Feb 5, 2026
YouTube Updates Firearms Content Monetization Policy for 30-Round Magazines
In February 2026, YouTube updated its advertiser-friendly guidelines to allow content featuring 30-round magazines (attached or separate from firearms) to be eligible for ad revenue, updating the previous 29-round limit.
policy
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Feb 5, 2026
AI Content Disclosure Rules: What Creators Need to Know
YouTube mandates AI-generated content disclosure starting March 2026.
algorithm
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Feb 1, 2026
YouTube Browse Feed Gets Major Personalization Overhaul
YouTube updated its Browse feed to cluster videos based on individual viewer watch history patterns rather than broad topics, significantly boosting visibility for niche content and micro-niches.
algorithm
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Feb 1, 2026
YouTube Browse Feed Gets Major Personalization Overhaul Using Watch History Clusters
In February 2026, YouTube rolled out a Browse feed personalization update using viewer watch history clusters for deeper hyper-personalization, giving niche and evergreen content increased visibility on the homepage.
algorithm
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Feb 1, 2026
YouTube Shifts Algorithm to Prioritize Viewer Satisfaction Over Watch Time
YouTube's algorithm now prioritizes viewer satisfaction scores over raw watch time, marking a major philosophical shift. Post-watch surveys, likes, shares, and return visits now carry more weight than video duration.
trend
Feb 1, 2026
Trending: Faceless AI Channels Dominate 2026 Growth Charts
AI-narrated faceless channels see 300% growth in early 2026.
trend
Feb 1, 2026
50-60 Second Shorts Perform Best with 76% Watch-Through Rate
Data shows that Shorts between 50-60 seconds achieve the highest performance with a 76% watch-through rate, while videos over 40 seconds show 33% higher engagement than shorter clips.
algorithm
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Feb 1, 2026
Browse Feed Gets Major Personalization Overhaul in February 2026
YouTube's Browse feed now uses deeper personalization based on viewer watch history clusters, moving beyond broad topic categories to identify micro-niches within viewer interests, benefiting niche content creators.
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Jan 30, 2026
YouTube Shorts Surpasses 200 Billion Daily Views with 2B Monthly Users
YouTube Shorts continues dominating short-form video in 2026 with over 200 billion daily views and 2 billion monthly active users, surpassing TikTok and Instagram Reels in engagement rates at 5.91%.
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Jan 30, 2026
YouTube Shorts Surpasses 200 Billion Daily Views in January 2026
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan announced that Shorts reached 200 billion daily views in January 2026, up from 70 billion in March 2024, solidifying its position as a major discovery channel and revenue source for creators.
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Jan 30, 2026
Automatic Product Timestamps and Labeling Powered by AI
YouTube's AI now automatically places product tags at the exact moment products are mentioned in videos and detects products based on visuals and voiceover, helping creators with shopping integrations.
feature
Jan 28, 2026
YouTube Introduces AI-Powered Auto-Dubbing with Lip Sync Technology
YouTube upgraded its auto-dubbing feature with lip sync technology that visually aligns a speaker's lips with dubbed languages, making translated videos more immersive and accessible to global audiences.
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Jan 28, 2026
AI-Powered Shorts Editing Tool Launches with Auto-Assembly Features
YouTube's new AI editing tool for Shorts allows creators to mark clips in their gallery, and AI assembles them into a full video with music, transitions, and voiceovers in English and Hindi.
feature
Jan 25, 2026
YouTube Introduces Combined Horizontal and Vertical Live Streaming with Shared Chat
Creators can now stream simultaneously in both horizontal and vertical formats with viewers joining a single shared chat, expanding reach across different viewing preferences without running separate streams.
feature
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Jan 25, 2026
YouTube Launches Veo 3 Fast AI Video Generation Tool for Creators
Developed with Google DeepMind, Veo 3 Fast allows creators to generate video clips, add characters, props, or effects using text descriptions with minimal delay. All AI-generated content will be labeled 'made with AI'.
monetization
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Jan 16, 2026
YouTube Expands Monetization for Sensitive Topics in Major Policy Shift
YouTube updated its advertiser-friendly content guidelines in January 2026 to allow more videos discussing controversial topics to earn full ad revenue. Content covering self-harm, abortion, suicide, and domestic/sexual abuse can now be fully monetized if presented in a non-graphic or dramatized manner. The change responds to creator feedback about restricted revenue for educational and fictional content on sensitive subjects, though child abuse and eating disorders remain ineligible.
policy
Dec 17, 2025
YouTube Pulls Data from Billboard Charts Over Ad-Supported Stream Dispute
YouTube announced it will no longer provide data to Billboard charts after January 16, 2026, ending a decade-long partnership. The decision stems from Billboard's refusal to equally weight ad-supported streams with subscription-based streams in chart calculations. YouTube argues this outdated formula undervalues the massive engagement from fans who don't have subscriptions, despite streaming making up 84% of U.S. recorded music revenue.
policy
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Jul 2, 2025
YouTube Cracks Down on Mass-Produced AI Content in Partner Program Update
YouTube updated its Partner Program policies effective July 15, 2025, to better identify and restrict mass-produced and repetitious content. The new guidelines target channels relying on automation, AI-generated videos with minimal originality, and near-duplicate content that fails to provide viewer value. Channels publishing such content risk suspension or removal from the YouTube Partner Program, while creators producing original content should see little to no impact.