YouTube has announced that it’s expanding the availability of its TikTok-like ‘Shorts’ video feed, with users in the UK, Canada and Latin America set to be able to access the full suite of Shorts tools.
As reported by TechCrunch, both the Shorts feed and the Shorts camera will be made available in the app for more users from this week, while YouTube also continues to expand on its music availability in the app, providing more ways for Shorts users to create themed, trending clips based on the latest tracks.
Which is where TikTok has seen significant success, with the platform also seeking to solidify its own links with the music industry as it becomes a bigger consideration for music publishers around the world. Indeed, TikTok has already proven its capacity to fuel music buying behavior – Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Dreams’, for example, which was originally released in 1977, re-entered the Billboard Top 100 last year on the back of the viral clip of a skater cruising down the street.
YouTube, which recently reported that it generated over $4 billion for the music industry last year, is keen to tap into that same shift, and the expansion of Shorts will help to lean into this behavior, and boost usage of the option, which YouTube clearly sees significant potential in moving forward.
In its recent earnings update, YouTube’s parent company Alphabet reported that Shorts is now up to 6.5 billion daily views, up from 3.5 billion at the end of 2020, while YouTube also recently announced a new $100 million fund to assist top Shorts creators, and provide more incentive for Shorts posts.
How much of that is driven by user engagement, and how much is motivated by TikTok’s continued expansion, is hard to say, but clearly, the data suggests that there is opportunity and interest there, which could make it a much bigger consideration on YouTube moving forward.
How big a consideration will come down to your own approach, but it may well provide more outreach options via short video clips – and if you are active on YouTube, it could be worth experimenting with Shorts to see how they perform, and what results they provide for your Channel.
And if you want to know the latest Shorts trends, look no further than YouTube’s bi-monthly Shorts Report.
Some good ideas, and notes, to keep in mind for your Shorts approach.
The expanded rollout of Shorts will begin today and will be fully live by the end of June.
