YouTube has unveiled a new feature designed to boost engagement and revenue for content creators. This feature allows creators to add product timestamps to their videos, prompting a shopping button to appear when the product is mentioned. According to YouTube, this design aims to enhance engagement with tagged products, ultimately increasing the creator’s revenue. Data from a recent test indicates that videos utilizing this feature witnessed twice the engagement compared to those without it.
AI Tool in Development: Creators to Sound Like Renowned Musicians
In a separate initiative, YouTube is in the process of developing an artificial intelligence tool that would enable creators to produce videos using the voices of famous recording artists. However, the launch of this tool’s beta version is facing delays due to ongoing negotiations with major record labels. The tool, initially intended for unveiling at the “Made On YouTube” event in September, would allow a select group of artists to grant permission to certain creators to use their voices in videos.
This product could eventually be made available to all users, with the voices of artists who opt in. Major record labels, including Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Music Group, are currently negotiating licensing deals to cover voice rights for this tool’s beta version.
Challenges and Opportunities in AI Voice Licensing
The music industry perceives this deal as a potential benchmark for future AI agreements. Key negotiation points include how the AI model is trained, the option for artists to opt-in or out, and the monetization structure. While the industry acknowledges the inevitability of such technology, some insiders believe that the eagerness to embrace it might be limiting their negotiation power. The AI voice synthesis domain has been a topic of discussion and debate, especially after incidents like an anonymous musician releasing a song with AI-synthesized vocals resembling Drake and The Weekend. This song was later removed due to copyright infringement.
YouTube “Spotlight Moments” AI Features
Earlier this week, YouTube announced a new Spotlight Moments feature that leverages AI from Google. The new service employs AI to identify the most popular YouTube videos that correlate with particular cultural events. This could include various occasions ranging from Halloween to a significant awards ceremony, such as the Oscars, or a sports event. Advertisers can then disseminate ads across videos associated with the designated topic or occasion across a specially curated YouTube channel, updated dynamically.
Last Updated on November 8, 2024 10:31 am CET
