YouTube has announced the addition of new creative tools to its Shorts feature, aimed at inspiring imagination and creativity. The company reports that Shorts are now viewed by more than 2 billion logged-in users each month and plans to continue expanding the ways in which creators can express their creativity.
Here are the new Creative Tools for YouTube Shorts:
Collab: Remix and Collaborate
Introducing Collab, a new creation tool that allows you to record Shorts in a side-by-side format with other YouTube or Shorts videos. With multiple layout options, creators can easily join in with a split-screen format.
Simply hit “Remix” then “Collab” to remix an eligible Short or YouTube video. Collab joins Green Screen and Cut as another way to remix Shorts content. This feature will be rolled out to all creators on iOS, with Android to follow.
New Effects and Stickers
YouTube will soon introduce a Q&A sticker, enabling creators to ask questions and receive responses directly in the comments. Additionally, creators can reply to comments with a Short, giving them the ability to shout out those who inspire their content.
Go Live and Get Discovered
YouTube is testing a mobile-first vertical live experience, allowing live creators to be discovered right in the Shorts feed.
Viewers will see previews of vertical live videos mixed into the Shorts feed, creating new opportunities for creators to connect with their audience. Features like Super Chat, Super Stickers, and channel memberships will also be available for live creators.
Streamlined Creation with Suggestions
Creating on YouTube with Shorts is becoming easier with a new feature that automatically bundles the audio and effect from the Short being remixed.
By tapping the Remix button and selecting “use sound,” YouTube will surface the same audio timestamp and effect as a creation suggestion. Creators can mix and match to make it their own.
Save Shorts to Playlists for Inspiration
Now, users can save Shorts to playlists directly from the Shorts feed, making it easy to curate and find inspiration. Creators can also save effects they discover by adding them to playlists, making them readily available for future use.
Transform Horizontal Videos to Shorts
YouTube will be testing new recomposition tools to help creators transform horizontal videos into Shorts. These tools will allow adjustments to the layout, zoom, and crop of the video segment. Creators can preserve key parts of their long-form content to create engaging and original Shorts.
Availability
YouTube will begin introducing Collab to all iOS creators starting today and over the next few weeks, with Android users to follow. Other tools will also be made available in the upcoming weeks, while the full-screen experience will be gradually rolled out to viewers over the coming months.
Announcing the updates, Sarah Ali, Senior Director of Product Management, YouTube Shorts, Creation & Community, said:
Shorts were introduced to provide creators with a fun and easy way to share short-form videos on YouTube. With remixing tools, expanded YouTube Partner Program, and new ways to inspire creativity, we’re making it easier for anyone to join in and create what they love.