YouTube launched an early beta of Shorts in India in September with a handful of features aimed at “creators and artists who want to shoot short, catchy videos using nothing but their mobile phones”.
The Google-owned company is now planning to introduce more features as the short-form video platform is rolled out in the US.
According to YouTube, in the coming months, Shorts will allow the use of audio from videos across its platform, which YouTube says “includes billions of videos worldwide” and which it also claims will unlock “a new playground of creativity like never before”.
YouTube has also introduced a row on the YouTube homepage especially for Shorts and has launched a new watch experience that lets users swipe vertically from one video to the next.
The platform is also testing adding a Shorts tab on mobile.
Other new features YouTube is looking to add include being able to search for a full song and video on YouTube from a snippet used in a Short.
YouTube is also exploring adding a create button to full videos to let users make their own Shorts with that audio, or search for other uses of the track in Shorts.
“YouTube Shorts is the next big frontier of a fast-growing platform that is centered on connecting artists and fans, around the love of music.”
YouTube’s Global Head of Music, Lyor Cohen, said: “YouTube has helped artists from all generations showcase their catalogue of work for music fans around the world. YouTube Shorts is the next big frontier of a fast-growing platform that is centered on connecting artists and fans, around the love of music.
“I’m excited to watch the creativity of the YouTube community remix old favorites into new ones while discovering new music from artists they will undoubtedly end up loving.”
“Short form video clips have quickly become a vibrant part of the music ecosystem enabling new experiences for fans and contributing to the growth of the music market.”
Dennis Kooker, Sony Music Entertainment
Said Dennis Kooker, President, Global Digital Business and US Sales, Sony Music Entertainment, said: “We are pleased to support YouTube’s development of new commercial products like Shorts that offer artists more ways to connect with audiences and grow their careers.
“Short form video clips have quickly become a vibrant part of the music ecosystem enabling new experiences for fans and contributing to the growth of the music market.”
Michael Nash, EVP of Digital Strategy at Universal Music Group, added: “We’re thrilled to work with YouTube on Shorts.
“With this exciting new service, creators and fans will be able to directly express their ingenuity and passions by interacting with Universal Music’s artists and music they love – while this partnership ensures our artists are fairly compensated for the use of music in these short-form videos.”
“We always welcome opportunities that enable our artists to reach their fans; and fans to engage with their favorite artist’s music in new and creative ways.”
Oana Ruxandra, Warner Music Group
Oana Ruxandra, EVP, Business Development and Chief Digital Officer, Warner Music Group, said: “We’re pleased to be partnering with YouTube as they take the exciting step of launching Shorts in the US.
“We always welcome opportunities that enable our artists to reach their fans; and fans to engage with their favorite artist’s music in new and creative ways.”
“We’re pleased to support YouTube and their launch of Shorts in the US.”
Jeremy Sirota, Merlin
Jeremy Sirota, Merlin CEO, said: “Short form video is such a fun way for people to express themselves.
“By having access to a music library, creators can incorporate the music they love and discover new artists.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for Merlin’s innovative membership to engage with an exciting product and build new audiences. We’re pleased to support YouTube and their launch of Shorts in the US.”
“We’re excited to partner with YouTube and know many songwriters, artists and fans will benefit greatly as Shorts rolls out across the world.”
Kevin Liles, CEO, 300 Entertainment, said: “We’re excited to partner with YouTube and know many songwriters, artists and fans will benefit greatly as Shorts rolls out across the world.
“With new technology we are able to find new ways to tell our stories and connect with each other.
“Youtube has always been at the forefront of this effort and we are proud to partner with them to further empower creators and give them the tools and platform to nurture their creativity with Youtube Shorts.”
“With the ability to easily create & seamlessly reach across their ad-supported and subscription services, Shorts can harness the global power of YouTube.”
Bob Bruderman, Kobalt Music
Bob Bruderman, EVP, Global Digital Partnerships, Kobalt Music, said: “Creators want more tools and products that allow them to connect with fans, and for music to be a profound underpinning of their means of expression and communication.
“With the ability to easily create & seamlessly reach across their ad-supported and subscription services, Shorts can harness the global power of YouTube.”
“Believe is excited to be one of the early launch partners with YouTube on Shorts.”
Gideon Mountford, Believe
Gideon Mountford, Global Head of Digital Retail, Believe, said: “Believe is excited to be one of the early launch partners with YouTube on Shorts.
“With the impact Short Video services syncing with music are having on helping Artists build new audiences, we are looking forward to seeing the potential of this new service.
“YouTube is in a unique position with their significant user base and engagement. We are excited to see how this will translate to usage and discovery of Artists and Tracks.”Music Business Worldwide
