YouTube Launches AI-Powered Skip Ahead, New Features for Live Streamers

YouTube has released the first stage of its new AI chapters, which looks to help users skip to the next most relevant section of a video, while it’s also adding some new elements for live-streamers, including HDR streaming.

First off on video chapters. Last month, YouTube announced that it’s trying out a new way to help users skip to the best parts of a clip, via a new AI-driven process that takes into account the most watched elements, then enables you to skip ahead to those points.

The process is now in live testing, and could be particularly beneficial for those watching YouTube content on their TV sets.

We know viewers love to watch YouTube in the living room, and we’re continuing to innovate to make the experience on TV even better. Now you can easily access auto generated key moments from any video. Check it out the next time you watch YouTube on your TV… pic.twitter.com/qRTHw695aX

— Neal Mohan (@nealmohan) April 2, 2024
As you can see in this example, shared by YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, the system tries to detect logical and popular segments within any clip, so you can jump to the next most relevant segment, as opposed to having to hold down the forward arrow (or equivalent).

Because that can be pretty annoying, especially on a TV remote, and with more and more people consuming YouTube content on their TV sets, this could be an important and valuable update.

Meanwhile, live streamers are also getting some handy updates.

First off, there’s Live reactions, which will enable Live creators to view reactions to their broadcasts, and where they occurred, via their analytics.

As you can see in this example, you’ll now be able to see what reactions occurred when in your broadcast, giving you more insight into audience response.

Which could tell you what people like and don’t like, and what sparked the most response.

Creators will be able to view the new Live reactions overview under “Content” > “Overview” tab in YouTube Studio (on both web and mobile).

Live streamers will also now have improved quality considerations, with the capacity to stream in HDR.

As explained by YouTube:

“With HDR you get crisper whites, inkier blacks, and better-looking colors that pop. HDR also allows you to capture much more detail in your stream, because fine-grained color gradations are preserved instead of being smeared out, resulting in hyper-detailed, hyper-realistic streams for your viewers.”

YouTube further notes that gaming streamers can also live stream in HDR, if the game that they’re playing is also in HDR.

It’s a more technical consideration, but for those YouTubers who are looking to enhance the quality of their streams, you now have more options available.