YouTube Cited as Key Driver in $597M RIA Acquisition
The Advisor Growth Lab Report Where Data Meets Personality (And They Actually Get Along)
Author: Andrew Murdoch | YT Era
Reading Time: 16 minutes (or one compliance meeting that actually ends on time)
Executive Summary
Let me ask you something that might sting a little: What did your marketing create this year?
Not generate. Not produce temporarily. Create—as in, build something that exists after the spending stops.
I'll wait.
Still waiting…
Here's why I'm asking: On April 25, 2025, Merit Financial Advisors acquired Safeguard Wealth Management for $597 million in assets under management (PR Newswire, April 2025). The acquisition driver wasn't Safeguard's client list or their office location. It was their YouTube channel. Merit's leadership said it plainly: "We have a YouTube channel at Merit, but nothing like this."
That single transaction crystallized what 2025 proved beyond debate: YouTube channels are now M&A currency for financial advisors. Not marketing experiments. Not "brand awareness plays." Actual assets that command acquisition premiums.
Video production volume increased 88% year-over-year in 2024, with businesses going from creating one video per month to nearly one every ten days (Vidyard, 2024). YouTube's September 2025 "Made on YouTube" announcement dropped 30+ new features—including AI tools that transform text prompts into professional videos. And 90% of households earning $100,000 or more use YouTube (Pew Research Center, 2024).
The advisors who recognized these shifts built transferable business assets. The advisors who didn't? They're still wondering why their seminar RSVPs keep declining.
This report dissects the video trends that actually moved the needle in 2025, separates the hype from the substance, and maps out what really matters for 2026.
The Year YouTube Became M&A Currency (And Most Advisors Missed It)
Two Acquisitions That Changed Everything
2025 delivered something the financial services industry had never seen: YouTube channels explicitly cited as acquisition drivers in major RIA transactions.
The first shot across the bow came in January 2025 when OneDigital acquired PWL Capital. Ben Felix's "Common Sense Investing" YouTube channel—427,000 subscribers, 23-25 million total views—was specifically identified as a strategic asset in the deal. PWL Capital had grown from $700 million to $5.5 billion in AUM over roughly a decade, with YouTube ranking as their second-largest lead source, generating 1,100 annual inbound leads (Kitces Podcast #445, 2024). That's ahead of traditional referrals. (Pause for dramatic effect.)
Then came the Safeguard acquisition in April. Eric Sajdak and Anthony Hellenbrand had built 67,000+ subscribers and $597 million in AUM in just five years—an 86% compound annual growth rate (PR Newswire, April 2025). Post-acquisition, Sajdak didn't become a "marketing consultant." He became Director of Content, tasked with scaling the YouTube strategy across Merit's 40-office national network.
The message couldn't be clearer: YouTube expertise is now a C-suite competency.
Here's what makes these deals genuinely remarkable: After exhaustive research across trade publications, SEC filings, press releases, and M&A databases, these appear to be the only two documented RIA acquisitions where YouTube content was explicitly cited as a deal driver (YT Era, 2025). This isn't an established pattern—it's the beginning of one. The firms that build YouTube assets now aren't following a proven playbook. They're writing it.
What This Means for Your Practice Value
Here's where advisors misunderstand the shift. These acquisitions weren't about subscriber counts or view metrics. They were about something more fundamental: documented, transferable client acquisition systems.
According to marketplace data from Flippa and Empire Flippers (2024-2025), YouTube channels sell for 20-36x average monthly profit as standard industry valuation. Premium channels in high-engagement niches can achieve 30-40x multiples. As I detailed in my report on YouTube channel valuation for financial advisors, a 500,000-subscriber channel sold for $400,000 in 2024.
Compare that to your LinkedIn presence. Or your seminar marketing budget. What's their resale value?
Exactly. You own nothing transferable.
But here's the uncomfortable truth that nobody in the "build your personal brand" echo chamber wants to discuss: if you are the brand, acquirers see a liability, not an asset.
According to Mercer Capital's RIA valuation analysis, "Many small to mid-sized investment management firms suffer from... dependence on key managers" (Hamner, 2023). The M&A advisory firm buyAUM puts it more bluntly: "Founder dependence is a major drag. If you are the brand, the operations, and the main point of contact, buyers see a liability, not a business" (buyAUM, 2024). Brady Ware's research indicates key person discounts can reach "as much as 10%"—and in extreme cases where the business has no transferable value beyond the founder, that discount hits 100% (Brady Ware, 2024).
This is why the Merit/Safeguard deal matters beyond the headline. Eric Sajdak didn't just build a YouTube following—he built systems that could scale across Merit's 40-office network. The acquirer wasn't buying Eric's face. They were buying documented processes, proven workflows, and a repeatable client acquisition engine. (Read that again.)
The question isn't whether to build a YouTube presence. It's whether you're building a personal brand that dies when you exit, or a business asset that commands a premium when you're ready to sell.
The firms winning in 2025 understood this distinction. Root Financial's James Conole built $1.3 billion in AUM with YouTube as the primary growth engine, achieving 90-97% conversion rates from single 30-minute meetings (Kitces Podcast #445, 2024). The firm actually achieves net-negative marketing costs—YouTube pays them $120,000 annually while production costs only $20,000.
Oak Harvest Financial Group grew from $85 million to $940 million in AUM over six years, generating approximately 1,000 first appointments annually through YouTube (Kitces Podcast #383, 2024). Troy Sharpe's philosophy? "If you go through and watch any of my videos, you'll very rarely see me make an actual call to action. To me, YouTube is not a platform for advertising."
These aren't marketing tactics. They're business architecture decisions.
The AI Revolution You Can Actually Use (Without a Computer Science Degree)
September's Made on YouTube Announcement Changed the Game
YouTube's September 16, 2025 "Made on YouTube" event wasn't just another product announcement. It was the platform systematically dismantling every excuse advisors have used to avoid video marketing.
According to Broadridge's 2024 research, 49% of advisors don't share educational content due to execution uncertainty, while 58% of companies cite resources as their number one barrier to video creation (Wistia, 2024). YouTube's response? Over 30 new features specifically designed to compress production timelines.
Veo 3 Fast integrates Google DeepMind's text-to-video AI directly into YouTube Shorts. Type a prompt, generate a 480p video with sound. This isn't theoretical—it's rolling out now in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Edit with AI transforms raw camera footage into first drafts automatically. It finds your best moments, adds music, inserts transitions, and generates voiceovers. You provide the raw material; AI provides the first edit.
Ask Studio functions as a conversational AI consultant with full access to your channel's performance data. Instead of squinting at analytics dashboards, you ask questions like "Why did my last video underperform?" and receive personalized strategic guidance.
Auto-dubbing now supports 20 languages with lip-syncing technology that makes dubbed content appear natural. Viewers watch 75% or more of auto-dubbed videos compared to originals (YouTube, September 2025).
Here's a question worth asking yourself: Do you speak both English and Spanish?
If so, you're sitting on a competitive advantage most advisors don't even know exists. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey, 44.9 million people aged five or older speak Spanish at home—making the United States the second-largest Spanish-speaking country in the world, behind only Mexico. In Texas, 29% of residents speak Spanish at home. In Miami, it's 43% (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019).
Imagine recording one video and reaching both audiences simultaneously. Your English-speaking prospects in Chicago and your Spanish-speaking prospects in Houston—same content, same message, zero additional production time. That's not international expansion. That's domestic market capture that 97% of your competitors are completely ignoring.
For the practical implementation of these tools within compliance frameworks, see my report on YouTube's AI Revolution for Advisors.
The AI Features Advisors Are Actually Using
Here's what separates hype from utility: According to Wistia's 2025 State of Video Report, professionals aren't chasing flashy AI features. They're using practical tools that solve real problems.
The adoption hierarchy tells the story:
61% use AI captions (doubled for the second consecutive year)
38% use AI voice dubbing
31% use AI language translation
28% use AI-generated visuals
25% use AI chaptering
24% use AI clips
16% use AI avatars
Notice the pattern? Accessibility features dominate. AI captions aren't sexy, but they make videos searchable, compliant, and accessible to hearing-impaired viewers. AI dubbing isn't revolutionary, but it expands your addressable market 20-fold with minimal additional effort.
The advisors getting results from AI in 2025 aren't trying to replace human creativity. They're using AI to eliminate production friction so human expertise can scale.
A/B Testing Finally Works for Non-Engineers
YouTube's enhanced A/B testing now allows three different title and thumbnail combinations per video, up from two (YouTube, September 2025). More importantly, it provides conversion data showing which combination drives actual clicks—not just impressions.
This matters more than it sounds. Your title and thumbnail determine whether anyone sees your brilliant content. You can create the most valuable retirement planning video ever recorded, and it dies in obscurity with a mediocre thumbnail.
Previously, testing required either expensive third-party tools or manual guesswork. Now it's native to the platform, available to any creator willing to use it.
What Actually Worked in 2025 (And One Spectacular Failure)
The Winners: Consistency Beats Virality
The data from successful advisor channels reveals a pattern that contradicts everything social media marketers tell you: boring consistency crushes exciting sporadic effort.
Ritholtz Wealth Management achieved 50% compound annual growth to reach $6 billion AUM (SEC Form ADV, 2025). Their secret? Four consistent shows: "The Compound and Friends" (Fridays), "Animal Spirits" (Wednesdays), "Ask The Compound" (weekly Q&A), and "What Are Your Thoughts?" (Tuesdays). No viral moments. No algorithm hacks. Just relentless consistency over years.
Heritage Wealth Planning's Josh Scandlen published 6,765 videos over eight years—averaging 2.3 videos per day (Social Blade, 2025). That volume created an inescapable presence in the retirement planning search landscape. His channel generates an estimated 60-80 new clients annually with client acquisition costs 40-50% below industry averages (Grillo, 2020).
Carroll Advisory Group built 450,000+ YouTube subscribers and $227.6 million in AUM by focusing exclusively on Social Security education (SEC Form ADV, 2025). Their niche obsession created defensible expertise that generalist competitors can't replicate. As I explored in my report on compound content effects, every video becomes a permanent asset that compounds in value.
The numbers justify the commitment. If you're ready to build this kind of systematic lead generation for your practice, apply to work with us here.
The Cautionary Tale: Jeff Rose's Channel Collapse
Not every 2025 YouTube story ended well. Jeff Rose's channel collapse deserves attention precisely because it illustrates what goes wrong when consistency falters.
Rose built 384,000 subscribers over 13 years. By July 2024, his last two videos "didn't even crack 1,000 views." He publicly admitted defeat, citing that "life happened (biz + personal)" and he "wasn't able to commit to publishing" consistently (Twitter/X, July 2024).
The math is brutal: YouTube's algorithm underwent major changes during 2022-2024, shifting from pure watch time to user satisfaction metrics while heavily rewarding consistency. Rose failed to adapt, maintaining irregular posting that triggered algorithmic penalties. His 3.2% engagement rate fell far below the 8-12% maintained by successful finance creators.
The lesson isn't that YouTube is unforgiving. It's that YouTube rewards sustained effort and punishes neglect—exactly like any other business asset. You wouldn't let your client relationships go 18 months without contact and expect them to remain loyal. Would you?
Here's an interesting wrinkle to the Jeff Rose story that illustrates the optionality YouTube creates: Back in January 2019, Rose actually sold his RIA (Alliance Wealth Management) to focus on his content business full-time. But he kept the YouTube channel. As he explained: "Revenue from my media business had outstripped revenue from the RIA in recent years" (Citywire, 2019). The advisory practice went to the buyers; the content engine stayed with Rose. That's the inverse of "YouTube as M&A currency"—it's YouTube as the asset worth keeping while you sell everything else. Whether you eventually sell your practice with the channel attached (like Safeguard) or keep the channel and sell the practice (like Rose), building YouTube equity gives you options most advisors don't have.
Your 2026 Framework: Implementation Over Information
The Three Priorities That Actually Move AUM
After analyzing dozens of advisor channels and reviewing the 2025 data, three strategic priorities emerge for 2026:
Priority 1: Build the Asset, Not Just the Audience
The Merit/Safeguard and PWL Capital acquisitions proved that YouTube channels have enterprise value. But that value depends on documented, transferable systems—not personal brand dependency.
Practical application: Create Standard Operating Procedures for your content production. Document your content calendar, production workflow, and performance tracking. The channel that can operate without founder involvement commands higher multiples than the one that collapses when the advisor takes vacation.
Here's a specific recommendation from Brady Ware's key person risk research that might surprise you: "Get other people to make your marketing videos, even if you have to hire professional actors. Alternative people should host your podcasts" (Brady Ware, 2024). That sounds counterintuitive in an era obsessed with "authentic personal branding." But consider what it actually means: you're building a media property, not a personality cult. The Compound (Ritholtz Wealth) doesn't rely on a single face—they have multiple hosts across multiple shows. Pure Financial Advisors rotates advisors on their "Your Money, Your Wealth" program. You can still be the visionary and primary voice while systematically reducing your key person risk. The goal is a channel that's valuable because of the systems, not despite your eventual exit. As always, check with an experienced YouTube Consultant.
Priority 2: Embrace AI as Production Leverage
According to Vidyard's 2024 data, businesses went from creating one video per month to nearly one every ten days—a 241% increase in production volume. AI tools enabled this acceleration.
The advisors who win in 2026 won't be those who resist AI or those who over-rely on it. They'll be those who use AI to eliminate friction while maintaining authentic human expertise at the core. Use Veo for B-roll generation. Use Edit with AI for first drafts. Use Ask Studio for optimization insights. But keep your face, your voice, and your expertise as the irreplaceable elements.
Priority 3: Integrate, Don't Isolate
YouTube's new Collaborations feature allows up to five creators on one video, exposing content to multiple subscriber bases simultaneously. According to my analysis in the Authority Accelerator report, smart advisors are borrowing audiences rather than building them exclusively from scratch.
Pure Financial Advisors generates 15-25% of leads from YouTube, but their success stems from integration across media, education, digital, and partnership channels. YouTube isn't their marketing strategy—it's the hub that makes every other channel more effective.
This Week's Challenge: The 2025 Audit
Before planning 2026, understand where you actually stand. This week, conduct your Video Presence Audit:
Search your name + "financial advisor" on YouTube. What appears? If the answer is "nothing," you're invisible to 90% of high-income households.
Review your last 12 months of marketing spend. How much created transferable assets versus temporary visibility?
Identify one case study from this report that matches your practice size. If Tenon Financial built $208 million with 26,700 subscribers, what's your realistic Year 1 target?
List three topics your ideal clients ask about repeatedly. Those questions are your first video scripts.
Complete this audit before New Year's. Your 2026 strategy should build from reality, not aspiration.
The Part Where We Ask You To Do Something
Look, I've given you the data. The case studies. The platform changes. The cautionary tales. The implementation framework.
But here's what separates the advisors who read these reports from the advisors who build billion-dollar practices: action with support.
The firms that dominated 2025—Root Financial, Oak Harvest, PWL Capital—didn't figure this out alone. They built systems, got expert guidance, and committed to consistent execution over years.
If you're serious about making 2026 the year you transform your marketing from expense to asset, apply to work with us here. We help growth-focused advisors implement YouTube strategies that generate qualified leads while building enterprise value.
Not ready for that conversation? Start with my book, Mastering YouTube Marketing for Financial Services, which details the frameworks behind every case study in this report.
Either way, stop consuming and start creating. Your 2026 self will thank your 2025 self.
FAQ: Your Questions, Actually Answered
Q: Isn't it too late to start YouTube in 2026 with all this competition?
A: According to Broadridge's 2021 survey, only 3% of financial advisors successfully acquire clients through YouTube. That's not competition—that's opportunity wearing a disguise. The Merit/Safeguard acquisition happened because most advisors still don't take video seriously. By the time "everyone" is doing YouTube, you'll have a three-year head start and a transferable asset.
Q: How do I use AI tools without triggering compliance violations?
A: AI-generated content still requires the same compliance review as human-created content. The difference is production speed, not regulatory treatment. Use AI for first drafts, then apply your normal review process. Most AI tools for production assistance (editing, captions, thumbnails) don't introduce new compliance concerns—they just make existing workflows faster.
Q: What's the minimum viable commitment to see results?
A: Based on the case studies analyzed, most advisors see initial traction in 30-45 days of consistent weekly publishing and meaningful lead generation by month 4-6. The caveat? "Consistent" means genuinely consistent. Jeff Rose's collapse proves that stopping and starting triggers algorithmic penalties that take months to recover from.
Q: Should I focus on Shorts or long-form content?
A: Both, but for different purposes. According to YouTube's 2025 Culture & Trends Report, both short-form (under 1 minute) and long-form (over 3 minutes) content are growing in relative watch time. Shorts drive discovery; long-form drives trust and conversions. Advisors report that long-form content (12-18 minutes) generates actual client inquiries, while Shorts expand reach to new audiences. (WARNING - Consult with an expert for more context as I've seen many channels get into trouble when they don't know what they're doing!)
Q: How do I compete with advisors who have 100K+ subscribers?
A: You don't compete on subscriber counts—you compete on relevance to your specific audience. Haws Federal Advisors built a $31 million practice serving exclusively federal employees. Carroll Advisory Group dominates Social Security education. The niche expertise strategy beats the generalist volume strategy every time for actual client acquisition.
Q: What's the realistic ROI timeline I should expect?
A: Conservative estimates based on documented case studies: Year 1 focuses on building your content library and establishing consistency. Year 2 typically shows measurable lead generation. Year 3+ is where compound effects create exponential returns. The advisors who expect immediate results quit before the compound effect kicks in. The advisors who understand they're building an asset stick around to benefit from it.
Q: If I build my practice value through YouTube, what happens to that value when I eventually exit?
A: This is the question sophisticated buyers are asking—and you should be asking it now, not at the negotiating table. The answer depends entirely on how you build. If your channel is "The [Your Name] Show" and every video features your face, acquirers will apply key person discounts that can reach 10% or more (Brady Ware, 2024). If you've built documented systems, trained team members to appear on camera, and created processes that don't require your daily involvement, you've built a transferable asset. The Safeguard acquisition worked because Eric Sajdak built something that could scale across Merit's network—not because Merit wanted to keep Eric on camera forever.
Q: How do acquirers actually value a YouTube channel's contribution to AUM?
A: We're in early innings here—there's no standardized methodology yet, which is actually an opportunity. Current approaches typically examine: (1) documented client acquisition directly attributable to YouTube, (2) cost savings versus traditional marketing channels, (3) subscriber-to-client conversion rates over time, and (4) the channel's algorithmic stability and engagement trends. The firms that meticulously track these metrics now will have negotiating leverage later. The firms that say "YouTube works for us but we don't have exact numbers" will leave money on the table.
Additional Resources (Because Knowledge Without Action Is Just Trivia)
Knowledge is power, but implementation is profit. Here are YT Era resources to accelerate your success (yes, we're shamelessly plugging our stuff… at least this stuff is FREE and we're honest about it):
Disclaimer
This report is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or marketing advice. Results vary significantly based on implementation, market conditions, and individual circumstances. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Any earnings or income statements are estimates based on documented case studies. Your results may differ substantially. Success requires consistent effort, strategic implementation, and ongoing optimization.
Before implementing any marketing strategies discussed in this report, consult with your compliance department or legal counsel to ensure alignment with your firm's policies and regulatory requirements.
Sources (For The Skeptics)
Because apparently "trust me bro" isn't a valid citation anymore:
Primary Research Reports:
Broadridge Financial Solutions. (2021, October). Third annual financial advisor marketing survey. [3% YouTube client acquisition statistic]
Broadridge Financial Solutions. (2024, February). Fifth annual financial advisor marketing survey. https://info.advisorstream.com/financial-advisor-marketing-trends-report-2024 [49% execution uncertainty barrier]
Content Marketing Institute. (2024). B2B content marketing benchmarks, budgets, and trends. [69% video investment increase]
Pew Research Center. (2024). Social media fact sheet. [90% of $100K+ households use YouTube]
Vidyard. (2024). Video in business benchmark report 2024. https://www.vidyard.com/business-video-benchmarks/ [88% video production increase, 241% videos per user increase]
Wistia. (2024). State of video report 2024. https://wistia.com/learn/marketing/state-of-video [58% resources barrier, 44% watch time increase]
Wistia. (2025). State of video report 2025. https://wistia.com/learn/marketing/state-of-video [AI feature adoption rates: 61% captions, 38% dubbing, 31% translation]
Case Study Primary Sources:
Carroll Advisory Group. (2025). SEC Form ADV via Strategic Financial Concepts LLC (CRD #141849). [$227.6M AUM, 600 clients]
Grillo, S. (2020, July 13). Having fun drives down the cost of a financial advisor lead! (true story). Sara Grillo Marketing Blog. https://saragrillo.com/2020/07/13/having-fun-drives-down-the-cost-of-a-financial-advisor-lead-true-story/ [Heritage Wealth Planning YouTube case study]
Heritage Wealth Planning YouTube Channel. (2025). Channel analytics via Social Blade and SPEAKRJ. [87,400 subscribers, 6,765 videos]
Kitces, M. (Host). (2017). Building a media empire as a financial advisor with Josh Brown (No. 53) [Audio podcast episode]. In Financial Advisor Success Podcast. [Ritholtz content strategy origins]
Kitces, M. (Host). (2024, April). How Troy Sharpe built Oak Harvest through YouTube (No. 383) [Audio podcast episode]. In Financial Advisor Success Podcast. [Oak Harvest: $85M to $940M AUM, 1,000 annual appointments]
Kitces, M. (Host). (2024, October 2). Leveraging educational YouTube videos to drive hundreds of new clients per year with James Conole (No. 445) [Audio podcast episode]. In Financial Advisor Success Podcast. https://www.kitces.com/blog/james-conole-445/ [Root Financial: $1.3B AUM, 90-97% conversion, 1,100 inbound leads, $120K YouTube revenue]
PR Newswire. (2025, April 25). Merit Financial Advisors partners with Safeguard Wealth Management. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/merit-financial-advisors-partners-with-safeguard-wealth-management-302433765.html [$597M AUM, 67K subscribers, Director of Content role]
Ritholtz Wealth Management. (2025, July). SEC Form ADV filing. [$6.055B AUM, 3,973 clients]
Rose, J. [@jjeffrose]. (2024, July 3). Thread on YouTube channel discontinuation [Tweet]. Twitter/X. [384K subscribers, under 1K views on recent videos]
ThinkAdvisor. (2019, February 4). Top 20 YouTube annuity videos of 2018. https://www.thinkadvisor.com/2019/02/04/top-20-youtube-annuity-videos-of-2018/ [Heritage Wealth Planning recognition]
M&A and Valuation Research:
Brady Ware & Company. (2024). Managing key person risk. https://bradyware.com/manage-key-person-risk/ [Key person discounts up to 10-100%, recommendation for team-based video production]
buyAUM. (2024). RIA valuation multiples: What your firm is really worth. https://buyaum.com/resources/ria-valuation-multiples/ ["Founder dependence is a major drag"]
Citywire RIA. (2019, January). YouTube star Jeff Rose sells his RIA to LPL duo. https://citywireusa.com/registered-investment-advisor/news/youtube-star-jeff-rose-sells-his-ria-to-lpl-duo/a1190123 [Rose retained YouTube channel, sold advisory practice]
Hamner, B. K. (2023, May 5). Common valuation misconceptions about your RIA. Mercer Capital RIA Valuation Insights. https://mercercapital.com/riavaluationinsights/common-valuation-misconceptions-about-your-ria-2/ [Key manager dependence as valuation detractor]
YT Era. (2025, December). YouTube as RIA acquisition driver: Primary source analysis of M&A transactions 2019-2025. [Comprehensive review confirming only two documented YouTube-cited acquisitions]
Industry Data:
Flippa and Empire Flippers. (2024-2025). YouTube channel marketplace valuation data. [20-36x monthly profit multiples]
Hearsay Systems. (2024). Financial services social selling content study. [287% video content increase 2020-2024]
Kitces Research. (2019, August). Client acquisition costs for financial advisor marketing strategies. https://www.kitces.com/blog/client-acquisition-cost-financial-advisor-marketing-efficiency-lifetime-client-value-lead-generation-satisfaction/ [$3,119 average CAC]
Schwab Advisor Services. (2024). RIA benchmarking study. https://www.fa-mag.com/news/schwab--ria-aum-increased-16-6--in-2024--revenue-17-6--and-clients-4-8-83324.html [16.6% industry median AUM growth]
U.S. Census Bureau. (2019). American Community Survey state-level statistics. [Texas 29.2%, California 28.8%, Miami metro 42.8% Spanish speakers]
U.S. Census Bureau. (2024). American Community Survey. [44.9 million Spanish speakers aged 5+]
Platform Documentation:
YouTube Official Blog. (2025, September 16). Made on YouTube 2025 announcements. https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/made-on-youtube-2025/ [30+ new features, Veo 3 Fast, Ask Studio, A/B testing expansion]
YouTube Official Blog. (2025, September). Auto-dubbing and localization features. [20 languages supported, 75% viewing retention]
YouTube. (2025). Culture & trends report 2025. [Short-form and long-form growth data]
