YouTube is launching new features allowing users to add text, live videos, images and gifs to channels.
The community tab "gives you a new, simple way to engage with your viewers and express yourself beyond video," according to YouTube.
The company's been secretly testing the features with a small group of video creators.
The updated functions will be available beyond the test group at some point in the "months ahead".
"Community is a special release for us because it represents the deepest product collaboration we've ever done with creators like you," the firm says on its blog.
A second stab at a social network for Google?
Each Community page effectively allows YouTubers to run a mini-social network on their channel page.
This is an interesting step for Google-owned YouTube which has in the past tried to build a rival for Facebook with Google+.
It failed to become a staple of daily social life as the firm had hoped.
Among the test group were comedy group The Kloons - "three guys losing their minds and making videos together" - as well AsapSCIENCE, who deliver a "weekly dose of fun and interesting science".
Others in the creator group include John and Hank Green, The Key of Awesome, Peter Hollens, Sam Tsui, Lilly Singh and VSauce3.
Reaction has been mostly positive.
"Seems like a great way to interact with viewers while "in between" video uploads. For me, that's probably going to replace my Facebook account," adds Ben Goyette.
But some YouTube users worried about having to start again.
"So we are supposed to throw our existing communities and start over? I take it there is no migration tool," Rob Gordon posted.
"Will we be able to block this new tab so that we don't have to bother with it?" asked Leroy Brocksieck.