台灣在內100多個國家地區使用 YouTube Short 短影片創作工具
去年宣布推出的YouTube Shorts短影片服務，Google宣布在全球超過100個國家地區推行此項服務相關創作工具，其中也包含台灣。
在此之前，使用者已經可以透過YouTube平台觀看YouTube Shorts短影片服務，並且在全球地區累積超過65億每日觀看次數，此次更新主要是在全球超過100個國家地區開放使用YouTube Shorts短影片服務的創作工具，方便使用者將多組影片串接，並且可搭配音樂、控制播放速度快慢等，藉此創作不同風格短影片。
而此次更新中，Google也在YouTube Shorts短影片服務增加以下功能，讓使用者更方便快速創作短影片內容：
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新增文字：在影片中的特定時間點新增文字
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自動新增字幕：在Shorts中自動新增字幕
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錄製時間最長達60秒：使用Shorts相機可錄製最多60秒的內容。
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加入手機圖庫中的短片：Shorts相機錄製的內容中，可加入手機圖庫中的短片。
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濾鏡：可對Shorts影片使用基本的色彩校正功能，未來YouTube將推出更多濾鏡特效。
同時，新增加可從其他創作者打造的YouTube Shorts短影片，或是現有的YouTube影片內容節錄音訊，藉此作為影判創作素材，例如為喜愛的笑話製作反應影片、親自嘗試其他創作者的最新食譜，或是重新演繹喜劇小品。若創作者不希望他人節錄重混自己的作品，亦可透過設定限制取用。
目前Google已經在YouTube首頁增加Shorts短影片專區，日後也會在行動版App加入Shorts短影片分頁，讓使用者更方便觀看。
另外，拓展YouTube Shorts短影片服務也意味Google藉由全新內容創造全新流量來源，並且也讓更多創作者有發展機會，日前已經宣布啟用YouTube Shorts短影片創作基金，預計在2021年至2022年期間向創作者提供1億美元的獎勵基金，另外更強調過去三年內已經針對YouTube平台創作者支付超過300億美元內容觀看收益。
YouTube Taps into the Popularity of BTS to Boost its New ‘Shorts’ Option
After rolling out the next stage of its TikTok-esque ‘Shorts’ feature last week, which sees the beta version of the option now available in all regions, and making Shorts available to all US users last month, YouTube is now looking to take Shorts to the next level, as it seeks to fend off rising competition from TikTok on the short-form video front.
Today, YouTube has announced its first exclusive Shorts dance challenge, which will be tied into the launch of the new track by K-pop sensation BTS.
As per YouTube:
“Starting this Friday, anyone from across the globe can create a 15-second YouTube Short right from the YouTube mobile app, replicating the core dance moves from the “Permission to Dance” music video. The dance moves for this challenge are the “International Sign” gestures that the septet was seen doing in the music video, bearing the meaning “Joy,” “Dance” and “Peace”.
Between July 23rd and August 14th, YouTube is inviting BTS fans to post their own version of the dance moves to Shorts, with BTS then selecting some of their favorite Shorts to be included in an official compilation video. Users need to include the hashtags #PermissiontoDance and #Shorts for their creations to be considered.
Linking into BTS is a smart move by YouTube as it seeks to raise awareness of Shorts, and boost adoption with younger users.
Over the past 12 months, BTS' videos have seen over 10 billion views on the platform, as the band continues to gain momentum, while BTS is also one of the top 5 most-viewed artists on YouTube this year.
“With 54 million subscribers on its Official Artist Channel, they are the third most-subscribed artist on YouTube. BTS has joined YouTube’s coveted billion views club on three different occasions with its hits DNA, Boy With Luv, and most recently Dynamite.”
That popularity will no doubt see more people giving this Shorts tie-in a shot, and if they subsequently have a good experience, and gain traction with their Shorts clips, that could help YouTube boost Shorts adoption, and steal some audience away from TikTok.
Which is a rising area of concern for both YouTube and Facebook collectively. TikTok has remained at the top of the app download charts for 18 months straight, and its traction with younger audiences has it well-positioned to become a key app for social media connection moving forward.
Which will see it become a bigger consideration for marketers, stealing ad dollars away from the incumbents, while also, potentially, making it a more important app in the lives of more users moving forward.
We all know what happened when the youth switched from MySpace to Facebook, and Facebook is keen to avoid becoming past-tense, which is why both platforms are pushing to combat TikTok’s rise in any way that they can.
YouTube’s connection with BTS may be the best idea yet on this front, and while it likely won’t see Shorts steal a heap of TikTok’s thunder, it will increase awareness of the tool, and give it a better shot at winning out.
And if YouTube can also highlight its reach and monetization benefits to creators, that could end up delivering a bigger blow to TikTok, in the longer term.