YouTube allows creators to upload videos and set them to "Premiere" at a future date and time. During the 2020–2022 period, it became a trend for users to schedule videos for 2023, 2025, or even 2030.
: These videos would often appear in "Recommended" feeds or search results. Users would click out of curiosity, only to find a countdown that lasted years. THIS VIDEO PREMIERS IN 2023
: Creators often used bait-and-switch tactics, titling videos with sensational claims only to reveal they wouldn't be viewable for another three years. Why 2023 Was a Digital Milestone YouTube allows creators to upload videos and set
: 2023 saw the full integration of YouTube Shorts as a dominant format, often overshadowing traditional long-form premieres. Users would click out of curiosity, only to
: Many videos scheduled for 2023 were intended to discuss "the future," which arrived in the form of generative AI tools that fundamentally changed video production.
While many of these "2023" videos were jokes, scheduling content in advance is a legitimate strategy used by professional YouTubers to maintain consistency: A Year on YouTube, 2023 - YouTube Culture & Trends
In the context of YouTube culture, 2023 was a year of massive transition, often cited as the "pivot point" for several major platform shifts: