YouTube announced yesterday that 1.5 billion monthly logged in users watch YouTube’s short-form videos, Shorts.
YouTube Shorts, released in 2020, can be interpreted as the platform’s response to the rise of TikTok. Since then, Shorts has gradually continued to evolve on the platform, including recommendations, and the company has added additional features that mimic TikTok, such as sampling. As of April, Shorts was reaching 30 billion views per day, according to Google. “This expansion started a new trend on the platform: The rise of the multi-format creator,”
YouTube said in a press release.
But it’s no accident that creators are turning to short-form videos. YouTube really wants creators to gravitate towards this format and is offering additional payments to make this transition more compelling and distract them from other platforms. Last year, the company launched a $100 million Shorts fund that pays creators up to $10,000 a month when they make popular videos. Payout amounts vary based on engagement and audience location.