YouTube is launching AI-powered custom instrumental generation within its Creator Music platform, enabling video producers to create royalty-free background tracks through text prompts. 

According to YouTube’s Creator Insider, the feature will appear in a new “Music Assistant” tab, where creators describe their desired music by specifying instruments, mood, and video type.

The AI music tool, which is part of YouTube’s “Dream Track” suite of experimental AI features, generates instrumental tracks that creators can download and use without copyright concerns. This integration follows earlier tests of AI-generated music in YouTube Shorts and YouTube Create last year.

The feature is being gradually rolled out to U.S. creators enrolled in the YouTube Partner Program who have access to Creator Music, the platform’s commercial music licensing resource launched in 2023.

‘Subscribe+’ Button Aims to Clarify Channel Memberships

To address viewer confusion between the Subscribe and Join buttons, YouTube is testing a new “Subscribe+” button for creators with Channel Memberships enabled. The experiment runs across mobile, desktop, and TV interfaces for a small set of viewers.

The button aims to simplify how viewers discover and access membership options, with YouTube actively seeking user feedback on whether the change improves clarity.

Additional Creator Tools in Testing

YouTube is also introducing a streamlined PIN verification process for AdSense, offering an alternative to physical mail verification in 24 markets.

A separate experiment allows creators to synchronize imported content in Shorts with selected audio tracks automatically. The feature arranges multiple photos and video clips to match music beats, reducing editing complexity. Creators receive a preview with further editing options available.

Strategic Context For Creator Economy

The new features arrive as YouTube maintains its position as Gen Z’s preferred music platform. According to a recent Precise TV study, 79% of American teenagers listen to music on video-sharing sites, with YouTube leading as the most-used content platform among this demographic.

These tools may particularly benefit newer creators, as MIDiA Research reports that a quarter of music creators now upload directly to user-generated content platforms without using distributors or labels—a trend especially pronounced among those with less than five years of experience.