In an attempt to make a dent in the surging popularity and impact of TikTok, YouTube has reportedly plans to launch a shortform video-sharing feature inside its mobile app by the end of 2020.
According to sources, the Shorts feature will be in YouTube’s mobile app. The feature will have a familiar feed of short videos posted by YouTube users.
Over the last year, a video-sharing app, TikTok has been growing exponentially in popularity and YouTube has taken notice.
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YouTube is planning a feature that will mirror the short feed videos that TikTok is known for. The Google-owned company is also planning to leverage its extensive song licensing to allow users to add the soundtrack of their choice.
This is not the first time when YouTube has mirrored features on social media platforms. The video-sharing organisation adopted the Stories feature which was gaining waves on Instagram and Snapchat.
However, with TikTok gaining popularity as a social hub for teens and young adults to express themselves, a good chunk may not want to port to Shorts. This is particularly so considering the fact that YouTube is popular for its long clips and tutorials, unlike the fun comedy platform that TikTok is.
Although YouTube hasn’t commented on the feature, when Shorts launches, YouTube will be an enticing option for viewers who love short videos.
Juliet Ekwebelam
