During the pandemic, some apps managed to “take off” by acquiring many new users. Arguably, the most popular app during this time was TikTok. Its rapid rise made many other social media experiment with something similar to attract more users. Even Facebook tried it with Lasso, but it failed. So when YouTube announced that it would launch a platform with short videos, YouTube Shorts (equivalent to TikTok), some thought that it would not attract many users.
However, it seems that YouTube Shorts is having quite a hit. On Wednesday, YouTube announced that YouTube Shorts are watched by more than 1.5 billion monthly logged-in users (globally).
See also: YouTube Shorts: How to create and upload a video?
According to Mashable, YouTube said these statistics come specifically from YouTube's Shorts player, which means even more users are watching the short videos from their favorite creators' channel pages.
TikTok, which arguably inspired YouTube Shorts, announced that it had reached 1 billion monthly users in September (the last time it publicly shared such metrics). While TikTok undoubtedly has a larger user base now, it seems that YouTube Shorts is taking off very quickly and could become the Chinese app’s most significant competitor.
See also: TikTok will help you stop infinite scrolling
Speaking of its 1.5 billion users, YouTube also promoted Shorts' ability to drive viewers to creators' long-form video channels as a byproduct of its investment in Shorts.
The company, in its announcement, positioned YouTube Shorts as a platform that better reflects the reality of today's viewer, who engages with video at different times and places throughout the day. In some cases, users will want to quickly scroll through shorter content, while in others they may want to watch for longer periods of time and thus turn to YouTube's traditional long videos.
“Shorts has really taken off and is now watched by over 1.5 billion connected users each month,” said YouTube Chief Product Officer Neal Mohan. “While we’re still early in our journey with Shorts, we know the product will continue to be an integral part of the YouTube experience.”
YouTube Shorts initially launched in the US in March 2021. The global launch took place in July.
See also: YouTube Shorts: Two additional features are rolling out to everyone
It’s worth noting that, unlike Facebook, which launched a completely separate app with Lasso, YouTube built YouTube Shorts directly into its already hugely popular platform. The existing user base of billions at launch certainly helped YouTube Shorts grow and evolve quickly. However, its success is not solely due to that. There are great creators who create interesting videos and engage users.
Some YouTubers, like Rosanna Pansino, say their video views have doubled since they started regularly creating YouTube Shorts. At this point, short videos are getting the most traffic on her channel.
It seems that TikTok has gained a strong competitor. It would be interesting to see the latest numbers from the Chinese app to see how the two platforms compare in terms of user numbers.
Source: mashable.com
