What We Know About YouTube Shorts, the Newest TikTok Alternative
This week, YouTube announced the launch of YouTube Shorts, a short-form video editing feature being added to the video platform, thus joining the ranks of other social media platforms, including Instagram, Snapchat, and Triller, in their effort to profit off of the murky waters that surround TikTok’s future in the United States. However, state-siders can’t try it just yet.
YouTube is currently test-driving the YouTube Shorts feature in India (one of the many countries, notably, that’s already banned TikTok), and even then, only for Android users. The video platform announced that plans are in the works for a US and iOS launch, although specific dates were not given.
YouTube Shorts will be similar to Instagram Reels in that it will have a vertical scroll, an easy to use multi-segment video editor with self-timer capabilities, and a place on the platform’s homepage. Thanks to this feature, newbie and expert creators alike will have the opportunity to reach well beyond their current subscribers to garner the attention of new ones (and perhaps brands, too).
Similar to TikTok and Reels, YouTube Shorts users will also have access to a music library. Instagram Reels has proven to be limited in this respect, as on Instagram’s equivalent update, only non-Business and non-Creator accounts have the ability to create videos using music.
YouTube’s music selection is already approved, and the social media giant has access to thousands of licensed songs and albums from most genres- but will this be enough to give Shorts an edge over Reels or TikTok?
The potential of TikTok’s demise leaves a gaping hole in the social media sphere, and it seems like everyone is hoping to get a piece of the action while they can.
The deadline for the app to be purchased or ceased in the U.S. is coming to a close – Oracle’s last-minute win of the bid means the app might be in the clear, but will certainly suffer some platform changes to abide by U.S. data guidelines. If the platform is indeed saved, and users start to drift away, competitors like YouTube Shorts could see some serious traffic. Only time will tell!
