YouTube Adds ‘Members-Only Shorts’ to Monetization Features for Creators

YouTube has launched Members-only Shorts, an option that lets creators share content only with subscribers.

This option enables creators to offer additional perks to their subscribers, the video sharing platform said in a video posted Wednesday (March 27).

To use this option, creators go to “Visibility” when uploading Shorts — videos that are 60 seconds or less — and select “Members only,” according to the video. They can also convert an existing video to members-only.

Creators can also schedule a Members-only Short to transition to a public setting. That option allows creators to give their members early access to content before it is made available to the public, per the video.

“This option lets you take advantage of your already-planned content and can be especially beneficial for your members if your Short features a special announcement, product drop or limited-time deal,” YouTube said in the video.

The platform also suggested that creators use Members-only Shorts for Q&As, behind-the-scenes looks and clips of upcoming content.

Members will see these Shorts in their Shorts feed, in their Subscriptions feed and on the creator’s channel, on the Shorts tab and the Membership tab, according to the video.

“Fans tell us members-only content is their favorite part of memberships,” the video said.

On Thursday (March 28), YouTube marked the one-year anniversary of the introduction of its revenue-sharing program on Shorts with a blog post in which it said that more than 25% of the channels in the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) are now earning through the Shorts revenue stream.

It also said that Shorts have proven to be an entry point for creators who later also earn through other YPP monetization features like longform advertising, fan funding, YouTube Premium, BrandConnect and Shopping.

“While this is an important moment, we’re still at the beginning of our journey of broadening opportunity through Shorts,” the post said. “Longform will continue to deliver great results for the community, and now with Shorts, we’re starting to see how bringing together creators, viewers and advertisers has grown the short form video ecosystem — bringing fresh opportunity to the community both creatively and financially.”

PYMNTS Intelligence has found that social media platforms continue to integrate commerce into the experience. For example, YouTube offers features that simplify the marketing and sale of products within videos to provide creators with additional opportunities to monetize their content, according to “Tracking the Digital Payments Takeover: Monetizing Social Media,” a PYMNTS Intelligence and AWS collaboration.