YouTube has begun experimenting with a new collaboration feature inspired by similar tools on Instagram and TikTok, aiming to help creators expand their audiences by sharing credit on videos. According to a Google employee’s post on YouTube Help, the feature allows creators to add collaborators to their videos, making it easier for those collaborators’ channels to be recommended alongside the original uploader’s content.
Currently, this feature is in a limited testing phase available only to a small group of creators. Influencer marketing consultant Lindsey Gamble shared a screenshot on the social platform Threads, revealing how the collaboration tags appear next to the creator’s name on the video. If a video has multiple collaborators, YouTube’s mobile interface will display the lead creator’s name followed by “…and more,” which viewers can tap to see the full list of contributors. Each collaborator’s name will also have a Subscribe button, encouraging cross-channel discovery.
The collaboration process is expected to mirror Instagram and TikTok’s model: the primary creator invites other accounts to collaborate, and those invited must accept before their names are linked to the video. This invite-and-approve system is designed to protect creators from having users added without their consent.
What remains unknown is whether collaborators will gain any additional access to the video’s analytics or upload settings, which are typically exclusive to the main channel owner. As with any experimental Google feature, YouTube will gather feedback from testers to refine the functionality and determine if it warrants a wider rollout.
YouTube’s collaboration feature could be a powerful tool for creators looking to network, co-create content, and grow their audiences by tapping into each other’s followers. Given Instagram and TikTok’s success with similar collaborations driving engagement and follower growth, it makes sense for YouTube to bring this social dynamic to its platform.
For now, creators selected for the test program can experiment with adding collaborators and provide feedback. Broader availability will likely come once YouTube finalizes the feature based on early user experiences.