The worldwide digital promoting slowdown that took maintain in 2022 continued to be a drag on YouTube’s advert income in Q1 2023 (ended March 31).

Nevertheless, YouTube dad or mum firm Alphabet noticed vital development in subscribers within the interval – together with for its music streaming service, YouTube Music.

In its newest earnings report, launched Tuesday (April 25), Alphabet reported YouTube advert income of USD $6.69 billion, down 2.5% YoY from Q1 2022, when income got here in at $6.87 billion.

This marks the third straight quarter that YouTube advert revenues have fallen YoY, though this quarter’s numbers barely beat analysts’ expectations of $6.6 billion, as compiled by FactSet.

As lately as a 12 months in the past – that’s, Q1 2022 – Alphabet was reporting double-digit development in YouTube advert revenues.

But whereas YouTube misplaced advert income in Q1 2023, it gained income from paid subscriptions.

Alphabet’s “Google Different” class, which incorporates YouTube TV, YouTube Music and YouTube Premium , noticed revenues rise 9% YoY, from $6.81 billion in Q1 2022 to $7.41 billion in Q1 2023.

“We’re happy with the numerous ongoing subscriber development in each YouTube Music Premium and YouTube TV,” Alphabet CFO Ruth Porat mentioned on Alphabet’s earnings name Tuesday.

She added that YouTube “noticed indicators of stabilization in advert spend” over the quarter, a phrase repeated by different Alphabet execs on the decision, although with out elaboration.

The variety of YouTube Music and YouTube Premium subscriptions reached 80 million in direction of the top of final 12 months, a rise of 30 million from simply 13 months earlier. Alphabet didn’t launch any up to date subscriber figures in its newest earnings report.

“Greater than 100,000 creators, artists and types have linked their very own shops to their YouTube channels to promote their merchandise. We’re excited concerning the potential forward.”

Phillip Schindler, Alphabet

In addition to the success of its subscriber-driven mannequin, Alphabet is trying to monetize YouTube in different methods, together with by means of YouTube Buying, which lets content material creators promote their very own merchandise or shops by means of movies and livestreams.

“Final 12 months, we introduced buying to extra creators and types by partnering with commerce platforms like Shopify,” Alphabet’s SVP and Chief Enterprise Officer, Phillip Schindler, mentioned on the earnings name.

“Now greater than 100,000 creators, artists and types have linked their very own shops to their YouTube channels to promote their merchandise. We’re excited concerning the potential forward,” he mentioned, including the caveat that it’s “nonetheless tremendous early days” for YouTube Buying.

YouTube has additionally targeted intensely on “Shorts,” movies beneath one minute lengthy that it has been nudging creators to supply. It’s a transfer that many observers say is YouTube’s response to the rising reputation of short-video platform TikTok.

Alphabet is “inspired by progress in monetization” of Shorts, Porat mentioned on Tuesday’s name.

The worldwide stoop in advert revenues, which analysts have struggled to clarify, took maintain within the second half of 2022, and plenty of market specialists immediately say they don’t see a restoration occurring this 12 months.

Regardless of the advert income decline, Alphabet general posted upbeat numbers for Q1 that beat analysts’ expectations. Internet earnings for the quarter got here in at $1.17 per share, beating expectations of $1.07 per share. Income got here in at $69.79 billion, a 3% YoY improve and about $1 billion greater than analysts had forecast.

Former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki exited her position on the firm in February and was succeeded by Neal Mohan, who had beforehand been YouTube’s chief product officer.Music Enterprise Worldwide