Neal MohanCEO

We see ourselves as the original creator economy. Over the last three years, we've paid more than $70 billion to creators, media companies, and music partners. Our goal has always been to create a platform where people can build businesses around their content and grow alongside their audiences.

The model is built around creators betting on themselves. As creators grow their audience and engagement, their business grows too. Not everyone becomes a massive creator, but millions of creators today earn revenue through the YouTube Partner Program, which shows the strength of the ecosystem.

Different creators have different business models. Some prefer YouTube's monetization system, while others sell sponsorships directly. Our philosophy is to provide multiple options so creators can choose the approach that works best for their goals and audience.

The biggest factor is engagement. People come to YouTube intentionally to watch content they care about. Whether it's a favorite creator, a podcast, music, or educational content, users are highly engaged. That attention creates strong outcomes for advertisers and helps support creators.

Personalization certainly changes how people consume media. Everyone's feed looks different. However, we still see major cultural moments emerge on YouTube. Many trends, creators, and events reach massive audiences globally and become part of popular culture despite personalization.

Live content creates shared experiences. Sports, events, and major broadcasts bring people together in ways that on-demand content sometimes cannot. That's why we continue investing in live programming and partnerships that create those real-time moments for audiences.

Today, YouTube is the largest streaming platform in the United States based on television viewing. What's important is that our reach extends beyond television because people also watch YouTube extensively on mobile devices, tablets, and computers.

Freedom of expression is central to YouTube's mission. Our goal is to give everyone a voice and show them the world. At the same time, we operate globally and must balance that principle with local laws, safety considerations, and platform responsibilities.

The pandemic presented unprecedented challenges. Information was changing rapidly, and platforms had to make decisions in real time. Many of the policies that existed during that period no longer exist today because the context and circumstances have changed significantly.

It's one of the most complex challenges we face. Hundreds of hours of content are uploaded every minute. We combine technology, policies, human review, and local expertise while trying to remain as consistent as possible with our core principles.

Consumers want choice. Advertising remains the primary way we support creators, but many users prefer an uninterrupted experience. Premium gives them that option while also creating another revenue stream that can be shared across the creator ecosystem.

Premium and Music subscriptions have grown significantly, reaching well over one hundred million subscribers globally. It has become an important part of our overall business and offers users flexibility in how they experience the platform.

AI is becoming a creative tool for many users. People can already generate video content using AI-assisted tools. Going forward, the distinction between fully AI-generated content and AI-assisted content will become increasingly blurred as creators adopt these technologies.

Transparency is important. That's why we provide labels for AI-generated content. We also believe creators should have greater control over their likeness, voice, and identity when AI systems are used to create content that resembles them.

A creator's voice, image, and likeness are valuable assets. As AI-generated content becomes more sophisticated, platforms need systems that can detect and manage unauthorized use while giving creators more control over how their identity is used.

We still believe we're in the early stages of our growth story. There are enormous opportunities in creators, streaming, AI, subscriptions, sports, education, and global content. Our mission remains the same: giving everyone a voice and helping people discover the world through video.