YouTube has announced the US launch of a beta version of its YouTube Shorts service, first unveiled last year to rival the popular Chinese video-sharing app TikTok. In a blog post, YouTube said its short-form video platform enables creators to record, edit and share videos that are 60 seconds or less in length. It added that the YouTube Shorts player has already surpassed 6.5 billion daily views globally around 6 months after its introduction as a beta in countries such as India.
The Shorts beta has started to gradually roll out to users in the US and will be available across the country over the next several weeks, said YouTube. Creators will be able to use tools to record short video segments with a tap, as well as select the video’s backing music or sound and access a range of in-app editing features.
YouTube has also reached agreements with a number of music partners so that artists and creators have a large library of songs to use in their Shorts. Partners at launch include Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group and Warner Chappell Music, Believe, Merlin, 300 Entertainment, Kobalt, Beggars, CD Baby, Empire, Peer, Reservoir and OneRPM, with more to come.
