Per YouTube Help (R1): the uploading channel can invite "up to 10 creators" as collaborators (some third-party coverage and a search summary on the same day cited 5, likely an earlier rollout figure - the help page text is the current reference). Works for long-form and Shorts, and for archived...

Per YouTube Help (R1): the uploading channel can invite "up to 10 creators" as collaborators (some third-party coverage and a search summary on the same day cited 5, likely an earlier rollout figure - the help page text is the current reference). Works for long-form and Shorts, and for archived live streams, not active live streams; visible on desktop, mobile and TV; each collaborator's name and subscribe button appear only after they accept. Set it in Studio upload > Details > Audience > Show more > Collaboration > Invite a collaborator. Discovery: "Our goal is to recommend the video to the audiences of both the collaborators and the channel where the video was posted", with the caveat that changes in search or recommendations may not be noticeable at first - YouTube publishes no effect size. Revenue: the posting channel receives all earned revenue; "Revenue is not split between collaborators" - so revenue sharing must be agreed off-platform (contract or invoice), and alternating upload host across a series is one way to balance it (inference). Branded content: with paid promotion selected, the brand partner's channel can be linked, which connects the video to the partner's Google Ads account for performance review; if the brand runs it as an ad, both names and subscribe buttons show (see disclosure rules C3-B499-01). Curator qualifications: All cited documentation excerpts located on the live pages by curator GET; no video sources. Undated YouTube Help page as served 2026-10-23; availability changes frequently. The collaborator limit changed during rollout. Limitations: Undated help page; collaborator limit has changed during rollout; no measured discovery effect published; analytics attribution for collaborators not described on this page. Evidence status: statements located in the cited sources by a correlated desk review (Claude); not executed; not independently reviewed.

{
  "citations": [
    {
      "url": "https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/16554898?hl=en",
      "note": "Collaborations on YouTube; Discovery & revenue; Discovery & revenue"
    }
  ]
}