Recently, YouTube introduced new video creation tools for Shorts, its short-form video feature that competes with TikTok. This announcement comes at a critical time, as TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, is facing a potential ban in the U.S. if it is not sold to an American owner by April 5.
Among the new tools is an updated video editor that enables creators to make precise adjustments and edits. There is also a feature that automatically syncs video cuts to the beat of a song and includes AI-generated stickers. These creator tools will be available later this spring.
Additionally, YouTube announced a change in how view counts are calculated for Shorts. Under the new guidelines, views will now count every time a video is played or replayed, without a minimum watch time requirement. Previously, views were only counted if a video was played for a specified duration. This new method of counting views is similar to how views are counted on TikTok and Meta’s Reels, and it is likely to lead to higher view counts.
YouTube Chief Product Officer Johanna Voolich explained in a YouTube video, “We received feedback from creators indicating this is what they wanted. It helps them better understand when their Shorts are being seen. It’s beneficial for creators who share content across multiple platforms.”
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