As the date for the impending TikTok ban approaches, users of the popular app (self-described as “TikTok refugees”) have been looking for alternatives to use after Jan. 19. Some of the most popular alternatives include Lemon8, a short-form video app that is owned by the same parent company as TikTok, ByteDance (meaning a Lemon8 ban could also be possible), and REDnote, a Chinese-owned app (which, again, could mean it may suffer the same fate as TikTok eventually). However, some alternatives may exist in apps that most U.S. netizens already have downloaded — namely, YouTube Shorts.
YouTube Shorts, a subsection of YouTube featuring — you guessed it — short-form video content, allows creators to make TikTok-like vertical videos and post them to their channel, and they’ll also show up in YouTube’s dedicated Shorts feed on the mobile app and desktop, similar to the TikTok For You Page.Â
Any creator on YouTube can create a Shorts video, and the process to create these videos is actually pretty similar to the TikTok one — meaning this could be an easy transition for all you creators (or aspiring creators!) out there.Â
So, here’s how to make a YouTube Shorts video, in case you’re interested in exploring this platform.
How To Make A YouTube Shorts Video In The YouTube App
As with TikTok, the main format for YouTube Shorts is short-form content in the vertical orientation, which makes it easy for viewers to swipe through their feed. Shorts have a time limit of three minutes.Â
In order to make a Short, just go onto the YouTube mobile app and hit the “+” button on the bottom center of the screen, then press “Create a Short” from the menu that pops up. From there, you’ll be directed to a screen that allows you to record a video. You’ll also have many additional options and features to enhance the video, such as the ability to add a sound, add a filter or a greenscreen, and change the recording time (however, the only options are 15 seconds and three minutes, which is less recording time than TikTok allows users). You can also add sounds, just like on TikTok — if you use the dedicated button to add licensed sounds, you won’t be subject to copyright laws, but if you add your own clips that feature licensed sounds, you might be in violation of copyright laws and could have the sound removed or video taken down.Â
Once you’re done filming, you can then add text and other filters to your video, and then create a title for the Short (which must be under 40 characters) and choose a single frame that you want to be the thumbnail. Finally, you can upload the Short!Â
How To Make A YouTube Shorts Video Outside The YouTube App
Users can also create their videos in any video editing platform that they desire, and then upload it directly to YouTube. If the video has the right qualifications to be considered a Short (meaning it’s under three minutes and in the vertical orientation), YouTube should recognize it and allow you to upload it as a Short.Â
Since the creation of YouTube Shorts in 2021, YouTube claims that its Shorts now receive over 50 billion views per day. This means there could be a good opportunity for creators to switch from TikTok to YouTube Shorts, and still have the opportunity to get views and monetize their content, which might come to be necessary on Jan. 19 and beyond.