YouTube has announced several updates for its popular YouTube Shorts platform, enhancing both content creation and audience engagement. These updates aim to give creators more flexibility and new ways to interact with viewers. Starting on October 15, 2024, YouTube will allow creators to upload Shorts up to 3 minutes long, a significant increase from the current 60-second limit. This extension gives creators more room for creativity, enabling richer storytelling. While this change only applies to new uploads, YouTube is also working on improving how longer Shorts are recommended to users.
Announcing the updates, Todd Sherman, Director of Product Management for YouTube Shorts, stated, “Whether you’re looking to discover something new or dive into creating, these tools will empower you to express yourself, get inspired, engage more deeply, and keep up with the latest trends. We’re excited to see how you will utilize these new tools to express yourself, discover fresh content, and connect with fellow Shorts fans!”
New Features and Tools for Enhanced Creativity
- Mobile Thumbnail Selection: Creators can now select a specific frame as the thumbnail for their Shorts on both Android and iPhone, making it easier to grab viewers’ attention.
- Templates for Trending Shorts: A new template feature allows creators to remix popular content. By tapping ‘Remix’ and selecting ‘Use this template,’ users can quickly create their own versions of trending videos.
- Access to YouTube Content: Later this year, creators will be able to remix videos and music from the wider YouTube library directly within the Shorts camera.
AI-Enhanced Shorts with Google DeepMind
One of the more exciting updates is the integration of Google DeepMind’s Veo model, which will allow creators to add dynamic backgrounds and special effects to their videos. This AI-powered tool will bring a new level of creativity to Shorts, making it easier to produce visually engaging content.
Trends, Comment Previews, and More User Control
YouTube is also launching a dedicated Shorts Trends Page where users can discover popular content from their region. Additionally, the platform will introduce comment previews, giving viewers a sneak peek at what people are saying about a video directly in the feed.
To give users more control over their viewing experience, YouTube is adding an option to ‘Show fewer Shorts’ in the Home feed. This feature allows users to customize the Shorts they see by accessing the three-dot menu on any video grid.
Other Key Updates
- Bulk Uploads Changes: As of mid-November 2024, users will no longer be able to bulk upload Shorts from third-party apps on Android, though desktop bulk uploads will remain available.
- Profile Tab Merging: YouTube is simplifying its interface by combining the ‘Branding’ and ‘Basic Info’ sections into one tab, now called Profile. The ‘Layout’ tab will also be renamed as Home Tab.
- YPP Suspension Appeals: Creators facing potential suspension will now receive clearer notifications, and they will have 7 days to appeal while maintaining monetization.
