YouTube Shorts Introduces New Features — 2B+ Monthly Users

Collab is a new format that mimics TikTok’s Duet format, allowing creators to remix a Short in a side-by-side format. Creators can choose from multiple layout options, though iOS users will get access to the feature first, followed by Android. Collab joins Green Screen and Cut options as remixes.

YouTube has worked on several new Shorts effects and stickers to help creators. A new Q&A sticker will allow creators to ask their audience questions and gather responses to their most burning questions. Ask your audience which cities they’d like to see on your upcoming tour or whether or not you should release a remix of a popular song.

YouTube is also testing a new mobile-first vertical live experience to help creators get discovered directly inside the Shorts feed. Creators will be able to go live in just a few taps and utilize YouTube Shorts features like super chat, super stickers, and channel memberships while doing so. YouTube also notes that this creates a great opportunity for creators to join the YouTube Partner Program and unlock those fan funding features.

YouTube is also introducing the ability to add YouTube Shorts to a playlist, so you can curate your favorites. This is great for communities like Twitch streamers who want to highlight their favorite gaming clips, memes, or performances to share with their community.

Finally, YouTube is looking at introducing new recomposition tools to help transform horizontal videos into Shorts. Users will be able to remix horizontal videos and adjust the layout, zoom, and crop of the video segment before transitioning the video into a Short. Split screen effects will also be available for preserving long-form content in the new Shorts format.

The only downside to all these changes? YouTube hasn’t announced when they’ll be available to everyone—just that iOS users will get first whack at them.