YouTube is competing with TikTok with YouTube Shorts

After Instagram with Instagram Reels, YouTube is now also competing with TikTok. It is currently testing a beta version of YouTube Shorts in India.

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Popular formats are often taken over by other platforms. A few years ago, there was already Instagram that introduced ‘my story’. That was quickly taken over by Facebook and Twitter is also experimenting with ‘Fleets’.

The latest format comes from TikTok. Short films of just a few seconds in which attention is quickly drawn with challenges, dances or funny content. Instagram copied the popular app Reels to introduce and also Snapchat made an attempt by letting users add music to videos.

YouTube Shorts

The next move is now YouTube. In a blog post they announced that they are working on YouTube Shorts. The name says it all, so also short videos. They call it a ‘short-form video experience’ for makers and artists on YouTube to make short, catchy videos with a mobile phone.

Beta version

A beta version of the app is being tested in India. It is still an early version with only a few features that will be adjusted and expanded in the coming test period. Those features are similar to what TikTok offers: can take multiple video clips together, record videos with music, speed controls that allow a video to be made in slow motion or fast motion, and a timer that counts down to the start of recording. Just like with Instagram Reels, the videos will have a maximum duration of 15 seconds.

For Android

In the blog post Chris Jaffe, YouTube’s vice president of product management, explains that the new YouTube Shorts is currently being tested on Android smartphones in India. He emphasizes that they will soon also start expanding the application to iOS and that it will be available in multiple countries soon.

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