The new YouTube Shorts platform comes out in beta in the US on March 18 after a few months of testing in India. YouTube Shorts allow creators to quickly edit and stitch clips together and add background tracks advertised from over 250 music labels and publishers.
In addition it also includes a subtitle editing tool. Like TikTok, users can surf the Feed with many short videos, subscribe to creators, browse by hashtags and sounds.
However, the difference with TikTok is that YouTube Shorts are not a standalone application. It’s found in a new motion strip on the YouTube mobile app’s home tab. YouTube is also considering dedicating this feature a single tab for faster access.
YouTube Shorts currently lack the ability to respond to other videos, as well as the Duet or Stitch features found on TikTok. And while the Shorts have a separate version like TikTok’s For You page, there’s still a lack of a way for you to watch a specifically managed video feed from videos you’ve signed up for like Following on TikTok.