YouTube rolls out biggest Live update yet with new streaming tools and AI-powered highlights

YouTube is taking things one step further with live streaming. On Tuesday at the Made on YouTube event, the streaming platform announced a host of new changes, making it easier for creators to go live, while also adding more convenience for viewers. The first addition is a new practice feature for creators. Before going live, a creator can rehearse their stream. This will allow creators to check their setup without facing issues once the stream goes live, creating a seamless experience for viewers. The YouTube Playables feature is also getting an update. Playables on Live brought some lightweight games to the platform for a creator to play while streaming. YouTube claims that the feature now has over 75 games. A stream with Playables works like any other YouTube livestream, with the same monetization tools and live chat. So far, YouTube Live has given more prominence to horizontal stream layouts. This is convenient for creators who are streaming while playing games on a PC, or for an audience watching it on desktop or TV. However, the vertical viewing format has gained much more popularity in recent years, particularly with YouTube Shorts. YouTube will now broadcast a live stream in two viewing layouts simultaneously. Viewers will be able to view on the layout of their choice, with a unified chat ensuring that the creator does not miss a message. Thus, a creator will no longer need to worry about the layout in which they go live. Another addition is react live. Creators can now react to a livestream in real-time on the platform. This can be particularly useful for live reactions for a launch event. Creators can also live react to another creator who is live.