YouTube tests new collaboration feature to boost creator discoverability

New Delhi: YouTube is testing a new collaboration feature designed to enhance creator visibility and discovery, drawing on similar tools already in use on platforms such as Instagram. According to a post from a Google employee on YouTube Help, the feature is currently being tested with a select group of trusted creators.

AThe feature enables video uploaders to tag collaborators directly in their videos, allowing audiences to view and subscribe to all contributors involved in a project. A recent video by MrBeast featuring Mark Rober, Ben Azelart, and the Stoke Twins provides one of the first public examples of the tool in action.

Once implemented, viewers will be able to tap on the main creator’s name in a video to access a pop-up list of all tagged collaborators, each accompanied by a Subscribe button. On mobile devices, if the list of collaborators is too long, it will be truncated with a “..and more” label that can be expanded.

YouTube’s co-authoring system is designed to function with mutual consent. The uploader must send an invitation to another creator, and the invitee must approve the request before their name is displayed publicly. This mechanism is intended to prevent misuse by ensuring that no creator is tagged without their permission.

It remains unclear whether tagged collaborators will have access to backend analytics or other creator-level data typically available only to the original uploader.

YouTube stated it will review feedback from early testers before considering a broader rollout of the feature.