The company said Thursday that it will expand the beta program for its short-form video offering, called Shorts, now and over the next few weeks to the United States. Previously, it tested the product only in India. Worldwide, users could see Shorts but not create.
YouTube says the feature allows social media creators to “make short, catchy videos with nothing but their phones.” It provides a way to merge multiple tracks, add music, and use a timer and countdown to record hands-free videos, all features currently available on TikTok.
On Thursday, YouTube teased some new tools they hope will emerge from the pack: users can sample audio from other Shorts videos and ‘remix it into your own creation’. Creators can also add text to specific points of the video.
YouTube also plans to leverage its broader ecosystem by launching the ability to use audio from videos across the platform. “It means you can take your own creative turn on the content you’d like to watch on YouTube, and it can help you find a new audience – whether it’s responding to your favorite jokes, your hand at the latest recipe from ‘ trying to do a creator, or to re-create comic sketches, “the company said in a blog post. YouTube added that creators will be able to use other people using their long-form videos. (On TikTok, it’s a popular way to “duet” someone else’s video. The videos appear side by side and users can recreate or comment on the original video).
Todd Sherman, product leader for YouTube Shorts, said the company is trying to lower the barriers to creation and help the next generation of aspiring influencers find an audience. Producing a traditional YouTube video can be expensive and expensive: professional YouTubers often have expensive camera equipment, editing software, and other tools to make their long-form videos appear.
“YouTube has made it possible for an entire generation of people who use cameras and computers and video editing software to practice their trades and build an audience,” Sherman told CNN Business. “The story is very similar to the story of what we’re doing with Shorts again, except that now it’s all based on the phone and what you can do in a phone.”
