YouTube has introduced a new tool that makes it easier for creators to turn regular videos into shorts, it announced in a community update. If you have any of your own videos uploaded, you’ll see a new tool under “Create” called “Edit to Short” within the main app. It allows you to select up to 60 seconds of your video and take it directly to the short editor, where you can add additional text or video filters and then upload it as a short.
After uploading the short, it links to the full video from which it was taken using the “Created from” link at the bottom of the video. This allows creators to use the shorts as promotional tools for the main video, helping to drive views and engagement. However, the tool only works with your own content, unlike Cut, which allows you to remix the content of any video.
YouTube
I tested the tool by creating a 10-second short from a longer video I created in 2010, and it was as easy to use as advertised, allowing me to grab the best part of the video, embed text and add a filter.
The immense success of TikTok has forced every social network to respond in some way. However, Instagram recently rolled back its TikTok like full-screen feeds and recommended posts features after significant user backlash. YouTube is arguably less threatened by TikTok because it offers longer-form content that appeals to a different audience. The new tool shows that it can have its cake (short?) and eat it too, though, by letting creators offer shorts as a form of advertising for their main content.
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