YouTube Launches Bi-Weekly ‘Shorts Report’ To Bolster Its TikTok Competitor

YouTube is seeking to bolster usership of its TikTok competitor Shorts with a new bi-weekly ‘Shorts Report‘ creator resource.

Each report — which looks to be a sort of infographic — will contain information about product updates, inspiration, and best practices, reports Search Engine Journal. The latest iteration, for instance, covers culinary creativity across the community, showcases the ‘speed’ tool, which helps with lip sync videos or slow-motion trick shots, and also describes ‘pivot pages’ (standalone hubs where all content comprising the same hashtag is grouped).

YouTube also began sharing tips for Shorts in its Creator Insider video series this fall.

The Shorts camera is only available in beta in India thus far, where it launched in September, though Search Engine journal notes that the Shorts Report — which appears to be available in both English and Hindi — could suggest that a wider rollout is afoot. That said, all creators can upload standard vertical videos (up to 60 seconds in length) using the #Shorts hashtag in the title or description box to have their clips potentially distributed as a Short. Shorts live on channel pages as well as a homepage shelf.

Search Engine Journal notes that the best practices offered by Shorts Reports could also help creators who are attempting to join the YouTube Partner Program and monetize their videos, as Shorts views are counted in the same way as regular video views, and thus help pave the way to the Partner Program’s 4,000 hour public watch-time minimum.

You can check out the inaugural Shorts Report in the YouTube Help forums right here.