Hello readers! This week there are updates for YouTube partners, Twitch streamers, Facebook, Instagram and X creators and more. Plus there’s a brand new Google Pixel phone with new Creator Suite features.
My tip for the week: Set up your social properties (YouTube, Instagram, X, TikTok) in Search Console, and compare them to your on-platform metrics.
Top Updates
Tougher YouTube Partner Program eligibility requirements starting February 1.
YouTube channel Managers will receive email notifications for copyright claims.
Ask YouTube is rolling out on mobile devices in the US.
Twitch now lets you opt out of training Amazon’s generative AI models.
Twitch lets you reward top gifters an exclusive badge.
Twitch is rolling out comments on Clips.
Google Search Profiles are available to more creators.
The new Pixel 11 includes the Pixel Camera Creator Suite, Magic Capture, Camera Looks and more.
Google Search Console Generative AI performance reports are rolling out to everyone.
The Facebook Creator Studio app is now available to creators in the US and Canada on iPhone.
Bluesky now lets you hide reposts from people you follow.
Bluesky is testing automatic thread post numbering and longer video uploads.
X “under the hood” shows labels on your posts that could affect visibility in the “For You” feed.
Gemini now lets you turn off visible watermarks on generated content.
Spotify will soon require AI Artists to add an AI Persona badge, and will stop recommending them.
Anthropic is watermarking Claude-generated text.
Joining the YouTube Partner Program is getting harder
This week YouTube announced that there will be changes to YouTube Partner Program eligibility and requirements to continue earning from the program. These changes go into effect February 1, 2026.
I’ve written up a detailed overview of all the changes. But here’s the short version:
The eligibility requirements for the Fan Funding & Shopping tier of the YouTube Partner Program haven’t changed.
500 subscribers
3,000 qualified watch hours in the past year OR 3 million qualified Shorts views in the past 90 days
At least 3 valid public uploads in the past 90 days.
The eligibility requirements for Ad Revenue Sharing & Premium revenue are increasing significantly.
1,000 subscribers (that’s the same)
8,000 qualified watch hours in the past year (up from 4,000) OR 20M qualified Shorts views in the past 90 days (up from 10M).
To maintain active status in the YouTube Partner Program, you need one of the following:
1,000 qualified watch hours in the past year OR
1M qualified Shorts views in the past 90 days OR
2 longform videos OR 5 Shorts in the past 90 days
To earn from the Shorts Creator Pool revenue sharing, you need to maintain 10M qualified Shorts views over the past 90 days. If you don’t meet that requirement you can still earn ad revenue from long-form videos, and from fan funding and Shopping.
There should also be more earnings from Premium Lite subscriptions and there will be new Shorts incentives to be announced in the future
If you are in the YouTube Partner Program now, you need to accept the new terms, and then make sure you maintain active status (which is as easy as posting a new Short every couple weeks).
Twitch Opt-Out for AI Training
Twitch has opted in your channel to train Amazon's generative AI content models. You can now opt out at twitch.tv/settings/security. Learn more.
It isn’t clear if it’s just the opt-out setting that’s new, or if the training is new too.
If you do not opt out, your stream, the stream's chat, VODs, Clips, Highlights, text and images on your Channel can be used to train Amazon’s AI.
Opting out does not opt your channel out of other AI features on Twitch.
This includes “using Al-supported Twitch features that benefit the community by facilitating streamer growth and monetization (such as real-time sponsorship campaign assistance), viewer discovery (such as recommendations), and community safety (such as AutoMod).”If you chat on someone else's channel, and they have not opted out, your chat posts there can be used for AI training.
There has been enormous backlash against this change, and it doesn’t seem like Twitch itself is even all-in.
Some Twitch creators are tagging their content “aioptedout” to indicate they have turned off this setting.
There was a drop in Amazon’s stocks, attributed to this update.
Twitch acknowledged that this change is “opt out” because no one would voluntarily opt in.
Google Search Profile Expansion
Google Search Profiles are now available to more Creators. Search Profiles launched in June, letting creators customize their profile with a bio, website, social media links and other content.
This week Google reduced the eligibility requirements. Now required:
YouTube: 35,000 (formerly 100,000)
Instagram: 35,000 (formerly 100,000)
X: 35,000 (formerly 100,000)
TikTok: 100,000 (formerly 300,000)
If you are eligible, set yours up at profile.google.com/claim.
Pixel Features For Creators
This week was the annual “Made by Google” event that introduces the latest Pixel hardware, along with new features that will be available on the new Pixel 11.
Some highlights for folks who use their phones for creative work:
Pixel Camera Creator Suite: Tools in the camera viewfinder, including social media gridlines, on-screen teleprompter, and audio visualizer. Upgraded Speech Enhancement reduces background noises like wind, traffic and crowds. Captured videos are saved to project folders in Google Photos where the Storyboard tool lets you trim and rearrange clips. Learn more.
Magic Capture: Start a session and Magic Capture analyzes hundreds of frames to “create well-timed, high-quality photos” and videos. It’s promoted as being able to stay “in the moment” while your phone captures action shots.
Camera Looks: Choose a style for your images. You can set a default photo look (Natural, Vanilla (warm, golden glow), or Shadows (contrasty)) or choose Black Tie, Minimal, Editorial, Classic or Velvet styles.
ASL-to-text: Google Deep Mind introduced a sign-language-to-text translation model. This powers sign-language-to-text dictation in Gboard and Live Transcribe. (Click the link to see the demo)
Live Translate: Translates videos and audio in real-time.
YouTube and Video
YouTube channel managers, in addition to owners, will soon start receiving email notifications for copyright claims and removal requests.
Ask YouTube, YouTube’s “conversational search experience” is rolling out to mobile devices. This is available in English in the US.
YouTube shared their design principals for updating the interface on desktop, mobile and TV: Reducing visual clutter, streamlining navigation, reducing redundant actions, and keeping consistent across the app.
Twitch lets you reward top gifters an exclusive badge. If you run a Creator Badge Drop event, viewers can earn badges from subscribing, gifting subscriptions or watching the stream. If the creator enables the Top Supporter Reward there is a gifting leaderboard, top gifters (top 1, 3, 5 or 10) at the end of the stream permanently unlock the special badge. Learn more about Creator Badge Drops.
Comments on Twitch Clips are rolling out. Comments will be turned on for all Clips by default (but you can turn them off). There will be moderation tools and use your channel’s AutoMod settings, and you can limit comments to subscribers, followers, or require email or phone verification. You’ll be notified when this is turned on for your channel. Learn more.
The X video editor now lets you add text overlays on your video. This is available for iOS only.
Web Publishing
Google Search Console Generative AI performance reports are now rolled out to e
veryone (or most accounts anyway). When you are in Search Console, open the left menu and expand the Performance tab to see the Generative AI option. This shows impressions from features like AI Search Overviews and AI Mode, broken down by page, country and device type. It does not show clicks. (Hat tip to Barry Schwartz @ SEO Roundtable)
WordPress 7.0.4 is available, with a security update. Be sure to keep your WordPress site updated!
Blogger has fixed a bug that disabled a large number of blogs. If this affected you, be sure to appeal.
The Facebook Creator Studio app is now available to all creators in the US and Canada using iPhones. It includes an “AI by Meta” Creator Assistant with personalized tips and insights, plus an AI-powered comment replies tool. The app initially launched to a small group of creators at the beginning of June.
Instagram updated their wordmark - the stylized written-out “Instagram”. See what you think of the new font.
Bluesky now lets you follow someone and hide their reposts from your feeds.
Bluesky has two new beta features you can enable in your account settings: Automatic numbering of posts in a thread and longer video uploads (up to 10 minutes).
Are you shadow-banned on X? X is open-sourcing the code that affects a post’s visibility in the “For You” timeline. If you have made at least 10 posts in the past month, you will be able to check the “Under the hood” page to see any labels on the posts that can affect visibility. This is currently only available to a small group of creators (a randomized test group of eligible accounts at least one year old).
More AI Updates
Gemini now lets you turn off visible watermarks on image, video, and music creations. They will still have machine-readable SynthID watermarks and C2PA metadata. This setting is not available for work or school accounts, or in India, South Korea and Vietnam.
You can now connect more third party apps to Gemini, including Granola, Otter.ai, Wix, Ticketmaster, iHeartRadio, Pandora and more.
Sheets canvas is a new Gemini-powered feature that “turns your Google Sheets spreadsheets into custom, interactive ‘mini-apps’.” This is available to AI Pro and Ultra subscribers and Google Workspace customers.
Spotify will soon add a new AI Persona badge to indicate an artist’s identity may be AI generated. AI Personas will not be included in editorial or algorithmic recommendations. Artists are expected to self-identify as AI, but Spotify will also review Artist profiles to identify photorealistic AI-generated identities.
Anthropic will watermark text generated by Claude and its other AI models. This is to comply with the new EU AI labeling law that went into effect on August 2nd.The watermark will persist when the text is copy-pasted, but may not survive editing.
More Reading
Reed Albergotti @ Semafor: How YouTube is navigating an AI tightrope
Thanks for reading! 🌼
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