YouTube has initiated testing of an innovative tool that allows content creators to include co-authors in their videos. According to Engadget, this feature is reminiscent of the collaborative posting mechanisms found in Instagram and TikTok. The primary goal of this initiative is to encourage cross-promotion of channels among diverse audiences.

Main authors can specify other co-authors, whose names will appear alongside the main author's name on the channel page. If there are many co-authors, the mobile version will display the phrase "...and others," which opens a complete list of individuals with "Subscribe" buttons.

The process of adding a co-author to a video will likely mirror that of Instagram and TikTok: the main content author must send an invitation that the other author must accept. It is still unclear whether co-authors will have access to the video statistics visible to the main author.

A representative from Google stated on the YouTube Help forum that the feature is currently available only to a limited number of users. YouTube plans to consider feedback from testers before deciding on a broader rollout of the feature.