YouTube to prioritise creators, building platform of the future, protecting community in 2023: CEO Neal Mohan

The streaming platform's new head wrote about its priorities for this year in his first open letter after taking on the role last month.

This year YouTube will prioritise supporting the success of creators, building the platform of the future, and protecting the YouTube community, the streaming platform's new CEO Neal Mohan shared in his first letter after taking on the role last month.

“We’re providing more opportunities for creators outside of ads by expanding our subscriptions business, investing in shopping, and continually improving our paid digital goods offerings.” he wrote.

Mohan also spoke about the power of AI and its ability to reinvent video. YouTube is developing new tools for creators as well as the protections to embrace this technology responsibly. It will be rolled out in the coming months.

"Creators will be able to expand their storytelling and raise their production value, from virtually swapping outfits to creating a fantastical film setting through AI’s generative capabilities," the letter states.

Podcasts will be another area of focus for YouTube this year. It plans to add new features in YouTube Studio to make it easier to publish podcasts. Later this year, the platform will provide RSS integration to give podcasters another way to upload their episodes and provide users additional listening options.

With regard to YouTube Shorts, it plans to roll out a new tool this year that will allow creators to record a Short in a side-by-side layout with both Shorts and YouTube videos. With this the creator can add their own take on a trend or join in with reactions.

Mohan said that "hundreds of thousands” of YouTube channels made money on the platform for the first time last year. "More than six million viewers paid for channel memberships on YouTube in December 2022 -- an increase of over 20% from the prior year," he wrote.

Previously the video platform’s chief product officer, he also recounts his first visit to YouTube’s office 15 years ago when it was located above a pizza parlour. “In its earliest start-up days, I saw YouTube’s potential. Now, I’m incredibly excited to lead it into the future.”

Susan Wojcicki stepped down as CEO last month. She exited after nine years at the helm but will continue in an advisory role to Google and Alphabet.