Every tech company worth its salt is probably trying to come up with the next TikTok or offer an alternative to it for those who don’t trust the Chinese-owned company. And of course, Google will be one of those that will attempt to dethrone the viral video app by releasing their own version. YouTube Shorts is now launching initially in India where TikTok has already been banned and hopefully, it will make its way to other territories, especially those who may soon be losing access to the app.
YouTube Shorts is a new feature within the YouTube mobile app which will let you shoot 15 second videos only through your smartphone with several creative tools to help you out. So obviously, it’s “inspired” by how TikTok has managed to capture the attention of millions of people worldwide. The short-form video experience is targeting creators, mobile users who want to experiment with videos, or people who are bored while in quarantine.
Google says that creation is the core of this feature and so some tools that they’re introducing at launch are more creative than functional. You get a multi-segment camera so you can put together multiple videos in one clip. You also get speed controls and a timer and countdown so you can record hands free. TikTok users will be familiar with those features of course. You can also add music to your clips, an advantage that YouTube Shorts has over TikTok because of their large library of licensed music.
YouTube’s homepage is also getting a slight makeover to make way for their expected deluge of short videos. You can now swipe vertically from one video to another, making it easier to watch Shorts and other videos that you will want to watch on your mobile device. They’re now encouraging all mobile creators or artists to start uploading their short videos to start growing the Shorts community.
YouTube Shorts will initially be available in India only. The decision to launch here is not just because it’s one of their biggest markets but probably also because TikTok has already been banned by the government. Will the U.S be next, because, you know?
