PostEaseThe short answer
A YouTube collaboration is a video that names other creators as collaborators. The uploader invites them in YouTube Studio; once each accepts, their channel name and a subscribe button appear on the video, and YouTube aims to recommend it to every collaborator’s audience.
YouTube’s Help Center puts it in one line: “Collaborations let you invite up to 10 creators to be added as collaborators in your video.” Viewers see collaborations on desktop, mobile and TV.
What a collaboration does, and does not
From YouTube’s Help Center page on inviting collaborators:
| Question | What YouTube says |
|---|---|
| How many collaborators | Up to 10 creators on one video |
| Which videos | Long-form videos, Shorts and archived live streams; not active live streams |
| What viewers see | Each collaborator’s name and a subscribe button, once they accept |
| Reach | YouTube aims to recommend the video to the audiences of every collaborator and the uploading channel |
| Revenue | The channel where the video was posted earns it; revenue is not split |
From five to ten
YouTube announced collaborations in YouTube Studio at Made on YouTube on 16 September 2025, with a smaller limit: “You can add up to five collaborators to one video, which will get shown to the audiences of all participating creators.” The same post said revenue would be “attributed to the channel that posts the video.” The Help Center now gives the limit as up to 10.
YouTube also tempers expectations about reach: “you may not notice changes in search or recommendations at first.”
Collaboration or branded content
A sponsor is not a collaborator. For a paid promotion, YouTube’s page says to mark the video as paid promotion and select the brand partner’s channel. That links the video to the brand’s Google Ads account so they can see its performance, and if the brand uses it in ads, both names appear with a subscribe button for each.
YouTube against Instagram
Both platforms let creators share one piece of content, with different rules:
| What differs | YouTube collaboration | Instagram collab post |
|---|---|---|
| How many | Up to 10 collaborating creators | Up to 5 collaborators |
| Who sees it | YouTube aims to recommend it to every collaborator’s audience | Shared with each collaborator’s followers |
| What collaborators get | Their name and a subscribe button on the video | Listed as an author, with the post on their profile |
Making a collaboration work
A collaboration earns its reach when both audiences have a reason to watch:
- Pick collaborators whose viewers would want your video, not only big channels.
- Agree before filming who uploads, since the uploading channel earns the revenue and keeps the video.
- Ask each collaborator to accept promptly: their name and subscribe button only appear once they do.
- Give each collaborator a reason to share it, such as a moment that features them.
Collaborations and PostEase
PostEase uploads YouTube videos on schedule with their title, description and cover. Collaborators are invited in YouTube Studio, under Collaboration in the video’s details; add them once the video is up. YouTube, X, LinkedIn (personal profile), Pinterest, Bluesky, and WordPress publishing are live today; Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Threads are pending each platform's own API approval.
Questions
How many collaborators can a YouTube video have?
Up to 10, according to YouTube’s Help Center. At launch in September 2025 the limit was five.
Do collaborators share the revenue?
No. The channel where the video was posted earns the revenue; YouTube says it is not split between collaborators.
Can you add collaborators to a Short?
Yes. Collaborators can be added to long-form videos, Shorts and archived live streams, but not to an active live stream.
Does a collaboration get more views?
YouTube aims to recommend it to every collaborator’s audience, but says changes in search or recommendations may not show at first.
Sources
- YouTube, Invite collaborators to your video, checked October 2026.
- YouTube, Transform your creative journey with the latest YouTube Studio updates, September 2025.
- YouTube, The next 20: powering the future of entertainment together at Made on YouTube, September 2025.