YouTube is making comments more fun — and fandom more lucrative for creators

YouTube’s comments section is getting an upgrade, alongside the rollout of other community-focused features such as exclusive paid memberships, the company announced at its Made on YouTube event on Wednesday. Commenters will now be able to respond with GIFs or leave comments from their TVs, while creators will get news tools to support their fan communities, including features to personalize moderation, invite members into VIP-like areas, and give fans new ways to help them make money from their content.

Comments are still one of the main ways YouTube viewers interact with creators’ content, but they’ve often lagged behind other social networks’ commenting features. For instance, TikTok just announced that commenters can respond to videos with their voice and add polls, photo carousels, and Live Photos to their comments. Spotify lets video podcasters use polls and Q&As to engage their audiences.