YouTube has confirmed
that its TikTok-inspired 'Shorts' feed and camera option will soon be available
to US users, after first launching in India last September.
The statement was
included in an update from YouTube's chief product officer Neal Mohan, in the
first of a new blog series that will offer more understanding regarding the
platform's product development roadmap.
Mr Mohan said:
"Each year,
increasing numbers of people come to YouTube to launch their own channel. But
we know there’s still a huge number of people who find the bar for creation too
high. That’s why we’re working on Shorts, our new short-form video tool that
lets creators and artists shoot snappy videos with nothing but their mobile
phones."
No mention of the
fact that TikTok has gained enormous traction and was blowing up in India until
it was banned, and that YouTube needs to make sure it retains its grip on video
links
"As of now,
Shorts is accessible in beta in India. Since the starting of December, the
number of Indian channels using Shorts creation instruments has more than
tripled, and the YouTube Shorts player is presently getting more than 3.5
billion every day sees worldwide. Within the coming weeks, we'll start growing
the beta to the US, opening our tools to even more users so they can get begun
with Shorts. "That will make Shorts a much bigger consideration for
YouTube creators
YouTube users in
any region can really upload Shorts clips right now, by basically guaranteeing
that their video is under 60 seconds in length and shot in vertical format. Users
then include the hashtag #Shorts within the title of their clips and then clips
will be entitled to be featured in the dedicated Shorts feed in the app.
But users in
India have access to a more specific Shorts creation process, via the 'Shorts
Camera'.
TikTok had around
200 million users in India before it banned the platform. After that, YouTube
launched Shorts in India back in September to fill the gap left by the banning
of TikTok in the region.
It's straight-up imitation,
which has proven to be a valuable and effective tactic for the big platforms in
suppressing the growth of trending apps. And as noted, YouTube has the tools,
it has the capacity to host its own TikTok-style feed. It's little surprise to
see it moving in that direction, in order to win more audience.
For creators and
brands, that will mean that you need to pay attention to the growth of YouTube
Shorts, and consider its place in your approach. YouTube has already provided a
range of tips on how to create effective Shorts, and just this week, the
platform also launched a new 'Shorts Report' to highlight key trends and usage
insights.
It may well be worth taking note, and factoring short clips into your
broader YouTube process.