YouTube Shorts#History

File:TikTok and YouTube Shorts example.webm docking at the ISS in a format suitable for YouTube Shorts]]

YouTube's intent in the creation of YouTube Shorts in 2019 was to compete with TikTok, an online video platform for short clips. The company started by experimenting with vertical videos up to a length of 30 seconds in their own section within the YouTube homepage.{{Cite web |title=YouTube test features and experiments - YouTube Community |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/thread/18138167 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200307181712/https://support.google.com/youtube/thread/18138167 |archive-date=March 7, 2020 }} This early beta was released only to a small number of people. Shortly after TikTok was banned in India on June 29, 2020, the YouTube Shorts beta was made available in India on September 15, 2020. In March 2021, the beta was released in the U.S. and was later globally released on July 13, 2021.{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2021/digital/news/youtube-shorts-global-launch-1235018403/|title=YouTube Shorts, Video Giant's TikTok Copycat, Is Rolling Out in 100-Plus Countries|first1=Todd|last1=Spangler|date=July 13, 2021|access-date=December 16, 2022|archive-date=December 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221216172756/https://variety.com/2021/digital/news/youtube-shorts-global-launch-1235018403/|url-status=live}}

In August 2022, YouTube announced plans to make the Shorts feature available on its smart TV app.{{Cite web |date=August 24, 2022 |title=YouTube set to launch short-form video app Shorts on its smart TV |url=https://www.mid-day.com/technology/article/youtube-set-to-launch-short-form-video-app-shorts-on-its-smart-tv-23242490 |access-date=August 29, 2022 |website=Mid-day |language=en |archive-date=August 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220829053617/https://www.mid-day.com/technology/article/youtube-set-to-launch-short-form-video-app-shorts-on-its-smart-tv-23242490 |url-status=live }} In December, YouTube published its annual blog post documenting the top videos and creators of the year, with Shorts receiving its own section of the post for the first time.{{Cite web|url=https://blog.youtube/culture-and-trends/2022-top-trending-videos-creators-us/|title=A year on YouTube: 2022's top trending videos & creators in the US|website=blog.youtube|access-date=December 16, 2022|archive-date=December 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221216173201/https://blog.youtube/culture-and-trends/2022-top-trending-videos-creators-us/|url-status=live}}

At the annual Made on YouTube event in New York on September 21, 2023, Google announced YouTube Create, a video editing app designed for YouTube creators, in order to facilitate the growth of Shorts. At launch, the app is only available on Android with an iOS version planned later in 2025.{{Cite web |last=Perez |first=Sarah |date=September 21, 2023 |title=YouTube debuts a new app, YouTube Create, for editing videos, adding effects and more |url=https://techcrunch.com/2023/09/21/youtube-debuts-a-new-app-youtube-create-for-editing-videos-adding-effects-and-more/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230921151128/https://techcrunch.com/2023/09/21/youtube-debuts-a-new-app-youtube-create-for-editing-videos-adding-effects-and-more/ |archive-date=September 21, 2023 |access-date=September 26, 2023 |website=TechCrunch}}{{Cite web |last=Hayes |first=Dade |date=September 21, 2023 |title=YouTube Adds AI 'Dream Screen' As New Option For Shorts Creators |url=https://deadline.com/2023/09/youtube-adds-artificial-intelligence-dream-screen-shorts-creators-1235552459/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230921172133/https://deadline.com/2023/09/youtube-adds-artificial-intelligence-dream-screen-shorts-creators-1235552459/ |archive-date=September 21, 2023 |access-date=September 26, 2023 |website=Deadline Hollywood}}

In November 2024, YouTube announced that Shorts would be able to be up to 3 minutes, and from then on all vertical videos 3 minutes of length or shorter would be turned into Shorts.{{Cite web |last=Hutchinson |first=Andrew |title=YouTube Clarifies Shorts Changes, Expands Sponsored Content Tags |url=https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/youtube-clarifies-shorts-changes-expands-sponsored-content-tags/730061/ |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=Social Media Today |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Cavender |first=Elena |date=2024-10-03 |title=Not so short, YouTube Shorts announces 3-minute videos |url=https://mashable.com/article/youtube-shorts-3-minute-tiktok |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=Mashable |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=live mint |work=mint |date=October 15, 2024 |url=https://www.livemint.com/technology/tech-news/youtube-announces-major-update-shorts-extended-to-three-minutes-starting-october-2024-11729004999049.html |author1=Livemint }}

In March 2025, TikTok users have created a trend planning to "colonize" YouTube Shorts on March 25, due to a phenomenon known as "meme drought".{{cite news |last1=Glaze |first1=Virginia |title=TikTok plans to "colonize" YouTube Shorts in 'brain-rot' app takeover |url=https://www.dexerto.com/tiktok/tiktok-plans-to-colonize-youtube-shorts-in-brain-rot-app-takeover-3166017/ |access-date=24 March 2025 |work=Dexerto |date=19 March 2025 |language=en}}{{cite news |title=TikTok users are going to "colonize" YouTube Shorts on March 25, filling it with trashy content. For what |url=https://dev.ua/en/news/tiktokery-khochut-kolonizuvaty-youtube-shorts-1742480188 |access-date=24 March 2025 |work=dev.ua |date=20 March 2025 |language=en-UA}}{{cite news |last1=Weedston |first1=Lindsey |title=TikTok's 'YouTube Shorts colonization' campaign aims to flood the platform with brain rot on March 25 |url=https://www.dailydot.com/culture/the-youtube-shorts-colonization-tiktok-march-25/ |access-date=24 March 2025 |work=The Daily Dot |date=18 March 2025}}

YouTube Shorts presents user-generated vertical or square videos up to 180 seconds long.{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2021/digital/news/youtube-shorts-one-year-monetization-creator-fund-1235090053/|title=YouTube Shorts at One Year: What the Video Giant Has Learned About the 60-Second Format — and What's Next|first1=Todd|last1=Spangler|date=October 15, 2021|access-date=February 11, 2022|archive-date=August 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220807041726/https://variety.com/2021/digital/news/youtube-shorts-one-year-monetization-creator-fund-1235090053/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://blog.hootsuite.com/youtube-shorts/|title=How to Make YouTube Shorts: Everything You Need to Know|date=January 12, 2022|access-date=February 14, 2022|archive-date=June 30, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220630011015/https://blog.hootsuite.com/youtube-shorts/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web |last=Ro |title=YouTube Shorts soon to get custom voiceover feature like TikTok |url=https://www.gsmarena.com/youtube_shorts_soon_to_get_custom_voiceover_feature_like_tiktok-news-52898.php |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=GSMArena.com |language=en-US |archive-date=June 30, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220630231404/https://www.gsmarena.com/youtube_shorts_soon_to_get_custom_voiceover_feature_like_tiktok-news-52898.php |url-status=live }} It allows users to add licensed music and on-screen captions.{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/sep/15/youtube-shorts-launches-in-india-after-delhi-tiktok-ban|title=YouTube Shorts launches in India after Delhi TikTok ban|date=September 15, 2020|website=The Guardian|access-date=February 15, 2022|archive-date=February 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209173436/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/sep/15/youtube-shorts-launches-in-india-after-delhi-tiktok-ban|url-status=live}} Viewers can scroll through an endless feed of videos algorithmically tailored for the user.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/18/22334540/youtube-shorts-us-beta-tiktok-competition-launch|title=YouTube Shorts arrives in the US to take on TikTok, but the beta is still half-baked|first=Chaim|last=Gartenberg|date=March 18, 2021|website=The Verge|access-date=February 15, 2022|archive-date=May 30, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220530235032/https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/18/22334540/youtube-shorts-us-beta-tiktok-competition-launch|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.gsmarena.com/youtube_shorts_soon_to_get_custom_voiceover_feature_like_tiktok-news-52898.php|title=YouTube Shorts soon to get custom voiceover feature like TikTok|website=GSMArena.com|access-date=February 11, 2022|archive-date=June 30, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220630231404/https://www.gsmarena.com/youtube_shorts_soon_to_get_custom_voiceover_feature_like_tiktok-news-52898.php|url-status=live}} Although intended to be watched on smartphones, YouTube Shorts can be viewed on all other devices.{{Cite web |title=YouTube Shorts – Competition for TikTok and Instagram Reels |url=https://www.ionos.com/digitalguide/online-marketing/social-media/youtube-shorts/ |access-date=March 11, 2022 |website=IONOS Digitalguide |date=January 26, 2022 |language=en |archive-date=July 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220701121452/https://www.ionos.com/digitalguide/online-marketing/social-media/youtube-shorts/ |url-status=live }}

YouTube Shorts includes features that are similar to those of TikTok, such as live videos, “collabs”, easy editing tools, and playlists.{{Cite web |date=2023-08-01 |title=YouTube's Shorts already rivals TikTok with 2 billion views per month. Now it has 'collabs,' stickers for audience participation and other new features |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/youtube-shorts-already-rivals-tiktok-160000612.html |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=Yahoo Finance |language=en-US |archive-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109005828/https://finance.yahoo.com/news/youtube-shorts-already-rivals-tiktok-160000612.html |url-status=live }} It also includes tools that edit long-form YouTube videos into YouTube Shorts. YouTube Shorts offers creators the ability to interact with viewers by responding to comments with additional videos, a feature primarily made popular by TikTok.{{cite web |last1=Keck |first1=Catie |title=YouTube is adding new ways for creators to make money with Shorts and shopping |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/2/10/22925936/youtube-creators-feature-shopping-live-streaming-gifted-memberships |website=The Verge |access-date=February 17, 2022 |language=en |date=February 10, 2022 |archive-date=June 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603052332/https://www.theverge.com/2022/2/10/22925936/youtube-creators-feature-shopping-live-streaming-gifted-memberships |url-status=live }} Shorts creators can also use stickers to interact with their audience through formats such as Q&As. The Financial Times reports that fewer than 10 percent of creators use YouTube's editing tools for Shorts.{{Cite news |last=Criddle |first=Cristina |date=2023-09-03 |title=Shorts risks cannibalising core YouTube business, say senior staff |work=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/c51ce73a-8ae7-4f5e-aa3c-5e24e471cc7b |access-date=2023-11-09 |archive-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109003948/https://www.ft.com/content/c51ce73a-8ae7-4f5e-aa3c-5e24e471cc7b |url-status=live }} Many use TikTok's tools instead, though videos with TikTok branding are downgraded from YouTube's platform.

YouTube Shorts added a feature that sends default reminders to users ages 13 to 17 to take a break or go to bed due to the increase in young users. There is currently no measure to restrict the use of the application.

Since its inception in 2019, the usage of YouTube Shorts has continuously increased. In September 2022, Alphabet announced that YouTube Shorts generated over 30 billion views daily. The number of monthly users also increased from 1.5 billion in 2022 to 2 billion as of 2023.

The popularity of YouTube Shorts has caused some concerns within the company, with some believing that it will "cannibalize" YouTube's long-form video content. YouTube's official response is that Shorts is designed to be an additional format option for creators.

A recent study from UNIL, Indiana University and Google revealed that YouTube Shorts is taking over regular videos as they are more frequent. However, they mostly target entertaining content and regular videos still outperform Shorts in education and politics related content.{{Cite book |last1=Violot |first1=Caroline |last2=Elmas |first2=Tuğrulcan |last3=Bilogrevic |first3=Igor |last4=Humbert |first4=Mathias |chapter=Shorts vs. Regular Videos on YouTube: A Comparative Analysis of User Engagement and Content Creation Trends |date=2024-05-21 |title=ACM Web Science Conference |chapter-url=https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3614419.3644023 |series=WEBSCI '24 |location=New York, NY, USA |publisher=Association for Computing Machinery |pages=213–223 |doi=10.1145/3614419.3644023 |isbn=979-8-4007-0334-8|arxiv=2403.00454 }}

In August 2021, YouTube released the YouTube Shorts fund, a system in which the top Shorts creators could get paid for their work. YouTube described this as a way to "monetize and reward creators for their content" and said it would be a $100 million fund distributed throughout 2021 and 2022, similar to TikTok's $1 billion creator fund.{{Cite web|url=https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/youtube-launches-new-100-million-fund-for-shorts-creators-adds-new-creati/599998/|title=YouTube Launches New $100 Million Fund for Shorts Creators, Adds New Creative Tools for Shorts Clips|website=Social Media Today|access-date=February 14, 2022|archive-date=February 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220214134526/https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/youtube-launches-new-100-million-fund-for-shorts-creators-adds-new-creati/599998/|url-status=live}} YouTube told The Hollywood Reporter that the fund is "just a stopgap until YouTube develops a long-term monetization and support tool for short-form creators".{{Cite web |last=Kastrenakes |first=Jacob |date=August 3, 2021 |title=YouTube creators can now get $10,000 per month for making Shorts |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/3/22606291/youtube-shorts-fund-launches-100-million |website=The Verge |access-date=February 20, 2022 |archive-date=February 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220220033638/https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/3/22606291/youtube-shorts-fund-launches-100-million |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last1=Chan |first1=J. Clara |date=August 26, 2021 |title=TikTok Creators Turn to YouTube Shorts Amid "Insane" Subscriber Growth |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/tiktok-creators-youtube-shorts-amid-insane-subscriber-growth-1235002615/ |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=February 20, 2022 |archive-date=February 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220220032614/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/tiktok-creators-youtube-shorts-amid-insane-subscriber-growth-1235002615/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |author=YouTube Creators |date=August 3, 2021 |title=YouTube Shorts Fund |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPKT1sBQJm8 |access-date=February 20, 2022 |website=YouTube |archive-date=February 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220219230026/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPKT1sBQJm8 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=New ways to earn on YouTube - YouTube Help |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/12475004 |website=support.google.com |access-date=December 16, 2022 |archive-date=December 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221216220633/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/12475004 |url-status=live }}

In September 2022, YouTube announced that Shorts would become part of the YouTube Partner Program starting in February 2023.{{Cite web |date=April 21, 2023 |title=YouTube Shorts monetization policies |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/12504220?hl=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230421160632/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/12504220?hl=en |archive-date=April 21, 2023 |website=YouTube Help}}{{cite news |last1=Benjamin |first1=Brandon |title=YouTube Promotion Services |url=https://urbanmatter.com/latest-4-best-trusted-website-to-buy-youtube-views-update/ |access-date=28 June 2023}} The program allows eligible creators to receive a share of the ad revenue. Partnered YouTube channels can also utilize the 'members' and 'supers' features that allow users to pay a monthly subscription for the content or a one time donation respectively.{{Cite web |title=Turn on and manage Super Thanks - YouTube Help |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/10878910?hl=en-GB |access-date=2023-12-12 |website=support.google.com}}

YouTube Shorts creators receive a percentage of ad money earned on ads that play before and after their videos similar to YouTube. Creators on YouTube Shorts earn 45 percent of the ad money, while creators on YouTube earn 55 percent.{{Cite web |last=Grant |first=Nico |date=September 15, 2022 |title=YouTube Opens More Pathways for Creators to Make Money on the Platform |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/15/technology/youtube-opens-more-pathways-for-creators-to-make-money-on-the-platform.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109011631/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/15/technology/youtube-opens-more-pathways-for-creators-to-make-money-on-the-platform.html |url-status=live }}

According to the YouTube policies, creators who upload content with some degree of copyright infringement, non-original content, or other violations of the community guidelines will not be eligible for monetization.{{Cite web |title=YouTube Shorts monetization policies - YouTube Help |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/12504220?hl=en |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=support.google.com |archive-date=April 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230421160632/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/12504220?hl=en |url-status=live }}

Researchers from the Guizhou University of Finance and Economics and Western Michigan University found that short-form videos like YouTube Shorts and TikTok may make it easier for young adults and children to develop addictive behavior because short-form videos provide "short bursts of thrills."{{Cite journal |last1=Zhang |first1=Ning |last2=Hazarika |first2=Bidyut |last3=Chen |first3=Kuanchin |last4=Shi |first4=Yinan |date=2023-08-01 |title=A cross-national study on the excessive use of short-video applications among college students |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563223001036 |journal=Computers in Human Behavior |volume=145 |pages=107752 |doi=10.1016/j.chb.2023.107752 |issn=0747-5632 |access-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-date=November 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231129063704/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0747563223001036 |url-status=live }} These researchers found that college students in the U.S. and China watch short-form videos for entertainment, knowledge, and to build social identities.

The Wall Street Journal reported that some parents are concerned about the effects of short-form videos on their children, as there is no way to disable YouTube Shorts or set limits. When children watch short-form videos, they learn to expect continual stimulation and fast-paced changes, which can cause problems when engaging in activities that require greater focus, such as reading.

Recent studies highlighted the connection between short-form videos such as YouTube Shorts and the brain's reward system, specifically dopamine release. According to Dr. Anna Lembke, a psychiatrist and chief of Stanford University's dual diagnosis addiction clinic, brief attention-grabbing videos act as powerful stimuli triggering dopamine surges akin to other addictive behaviors.{{Cite news |last=Waters |first=Jamie |date=2021-08-22 |title=Constant craving: how digital media turned us all into dopamine addicts |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global/2021/aug/22/how-digital-media-turned-us-all-into-dopamine-addicts-and-what-we-can-do-to-break-the-cycle |access-date=2024-01-10 |work=The Observer |language=en-GB |issn=0029-7712 |archive-date=May 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240508133040/https://www.theguardian.com/global/2021/aug/22/how-digital-media-turned-us-all-into-dopamine-addicts-and-what-we-can-do-to-break-the-cycle |url-status=live }} The rapid and easily consumable nature of short-form videos can elicit high levels of dopamine; since dopamine serves as a motivator rather than a direct source of pleasure, individuals are compelled to seek rewarding activities and become addicted to them. Such neurochemical responses lead to addictive patterns and behaviors, entering a vicious cycle. Digital addiction can lead to shorter attention spans and slower cognitive processing.

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|https://www.youtube.com/shorts/}}
• [https://www.youtube.com/creators/shorts/ YouTube Creators page]
• [https://support.google.com/youtube/thread/139221507/new-features-and-updates-for-shorts-viewers-creators New Features and Updates for Shorts Viewers & Creators]

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