YouTube now lets eligible creators tag products and earn revenue

New Delhi: Teaming up with Flipkart and Myntra, YouTube has launched the YouTube Shopping affiliate programme in India, allowing eligible creators to tag products in their videos and be able to earn revenue when viewers purchase them on the retailers’ site. 

The program, which will roll out starting with Flipkart and Myntra, allows creators to earn by recommending products across videos, shorts and live streams and also makes it easy for viewers to discover and shop.

The expansion complements the existing YouTube shopping that allows eligible creators to promote their own merchandise by linking their stores to their YouTube channels and builds on existing monetisation options like ad revenue, YouTube premium, brand connect and other features like channel memberships, super thanks, super chat and super stickers, which aims to provide a suite of tools for creators to thrive on the platform. 

Travis Katz, General Manager and Vice-President, Shopping, YouTube, said, “The incredible global success of YouTube Shopping, with over 30 billion hours of shopping-related content watched in 2023 alone, demonstrates the power of connecting creators, viewers, and brands in exciting new ways. We’re now bringing this same momentum to India with the launch of the YouTube Shopping affiliate program, starting with Flipkart and Myntra. We're unlocking a new phase of product discovery, powered by the strong connections between creators and their viewers. The YouTube Shopping affiliate program offers Indian creators a unique opportunity to diversify their revenue streams and deepen their connection with their audiences. We’re always looking to provide creators with more choices in how they connect their viewers to products they love. We will look to gradually expand to more partners in the future as we continue to build our capabilities.”

Ravi Iyer, Senior Vice President and Head- Corporate Development and Strategic Partnerships, Flipkart Group, said, “As a homegrown brand with more than 500 million registered customers, Flipkart and Myntra understand the evolving and nuanced shopping needs of a diverse customer base. To make shopping engaging and personalised and empower customers to make informed purchase decisions, we have pioneered video commerce on our platforms, covering a variety of categories, including fashion, beauty, personal care, home furnishing and more, with strong engagement with customers across tier 2 and 3 cities. Using the YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program, we aim to further boost the experience and engagement of customers using Flipkart and Myntra by enabling product discovery through videos by creators on YouTube. The innovative approach to product discovery will strengthen the trust and loyalty of customers as we continue to build on the opportunities that video commerce offers.”

Ajay Vidyasagar, Regional Director, APAC, YouTube, said, “With Indian consumers increasingly embracing digital platforms, YouTube is evolving to meet those needs by connecting creators, viewers, and brands in seamless and engaging ways. We’re excited by the possibilities that video can unlock to make the shopping journey richer and more engaging. And, the YouTube Shopping affiliate program is the next step in this journey, providing creators with another powerful tool to grow their businesses and connect with their audiences.”