YouTube has introduced Shorts Series, a feature that lets creators organize short-form videos into seasons and episodes instead of publishing them only as individual clips. The feature adds custom thumbnails and sequential playback, allowing viewers to follow episodic stories across web, mobile and connected TVs.
YouTube announced the feature at its Made On YouTube event on Wednesday. Shorts Series is rolling out to creators in the YouTube Partner Program and will appear directly on their channels.
Shorts Gain Seasons, Episodes and Continuous Playback
According to YouTube’s official announcement, creators can arrange related Shorts into a structured series with separate seasons and episodes. Sequential playback lets viewers move through the videos in order rather than finding each installment individually in the Shorts feed.
The format is intended for creators producing multi-part stories, including vertical microdramas. YouTube cited creators Kinigra Deon and GOKKO CLUB as examples of channels already producing episodic Shorts.
YouTube said microdramas generated more than 6.5 billion views on the platform during the first half of 2026. Watch time for the format increased by more than 50% year over year, while microdrama views on TVs rose by over 90%.
The company has also been bringing more creator content to television screens. More than half of YouTube’s top 100 creators now have TV as their most-watched interface, according to YouTube.
Shorts Series Builds on Creator Shows
Shorts Series follows YouTube’s earlier Creator Shows format, which allowed selected creators to arrange longer videos into seasons and episodes for a more structured viewing experience. YouTube expanded that effort in 2026 with new Creator Shows from creators including Dude Perfect, Trevor Noah, Quen Blackwell and others.
The new Shorts format applies a similar structure to vertical videos. It also arrives as dedicated microdrama services including ReelShort, DramaBox and TikTok’s PineDrama compete for audiences watching serialized short-form stories.
Several established YouTube creators have already worked on projects outside the platform. Hannah Stocking starred in the vertical musical drama “Playback” on Holywater’s My Drama, while Joshua Ovenshire has produced shows for ReelShort, including “Secrets and Soulmates.”
YouTube announced other creator features at Made On YouTube alongside Shorts Series. These include Live Showdowns for collaborative livestreams, expanded video testing, Dynamic Thumbnails, additional shopping tools and AI-assisted features inside YouTube Studio.
Featured image credits: Magnific.com
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