In a bid to outshine rivals like TikTok and Reels, YouTube unveiled a wave of new features on Thursday specifically aimed at boosting its short-form video platform, YouTube Shorts.
Through a video message to creators, YouTube’s Chief Product Officer, Johanna Voolich, announced six fresh tools designed to empower creators in crafting their Shorts videos. These features include tools to automatically convert longer videos into Shorts-sized content and creative enhancements like an “Add Yours” sticker that encourages viewers to contribute their own content linked to a creator’s video.
To enhance the audio and visual experience, YouTube Shorts is introducing two new features. The first feature lets you create captions automatically, which you can then personalize with different fonts and colors. The second feature allows you to have your text narrated in four different voices, adding another layer of storytelling to your Shorts.
Beyond the interactive “Add Yours” sticker, creators can now get creative with Minecraft. Two new effects celebrate the game’s 15th anniversary. “Minecraft Spring” lets you film a video within the Minecraft world, while “Minecraft Rush” adds a mini-game playable directly within the Shorts player.
YouTube is also making it simpler to turn your existing videos into Shorts. A new “auto layout” tool, coming soon to Android, will not only convert longer videos to Shorts but will also automatically follow the main subject in your video as you convert it to a Short. This means no more manual zooming and cropping – YouTube will handle it for you, ensuring your Shorts look polished.
In another update, creators will have more freedom to build on existing content. YouTube already lets you create remixes by incorporating clips from other users’ videos, but now you can take it a step further. A new feature allows you to remix existing remixes, opening up new creative possibilities and encouraging collaboration within the Shorts community.
