By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The video streaming space has been beaming with excitement since the YouTube Shorts made its entry into Nigeria on Monday, July 12, 2021.

The new platform enables users to enjoy YouTube’s new short-form video experience by creating short, catchy videos using nothing but their mobile phones.

Before now, the feature was not available to users in Nigeria. The beta version of YouTube Shorts was first introduced in September 2020 and the platform has been active in 26 countries and will now be available across more than 100 countries around the world where YouTube is available. However, the Shorts beta will be available to everybody in Nigeria by Wednesday, July 14.

While short-form videos were already viewable on the platform, users in Nigeria will be able to access for the first time Shorts’ creation tools which include a multi-segment camera to string multiple video clips together, the ability to record with music, control speed settings, and more.

Users will also have the ability to sample audio not only from other Shorts but also from videos all across YouTube — which includes billions of videos worldwide — unlocking a new playground of creativity like never before.

This means that users can give their own creative spin on the content they love to watch on YouTube and help find a new audience — whether it’s reacting to their favourite jokes, trying their hand at a creator’s latest recipe, or re-enacting comedic skits. Creators will be in control and will be able to opt out if they don’t want their long-form video remixed.

In addition, and timed with the product’s international expansion, YouTube said it is bringing a new set of features to all existing and new markets such as the ability to add text to specific points in the video, automatically add captions to the Short, record up to 60 seconds with the Shorts camera, add clips from user’s phone’s gallery to add to the recordings made with the Shorts camera and add basic filters to colour correct the Shorts, with more effects to come in the future.

The Global Product Manager for YouTube Shorts, Mr Todd Sherman, noted that, “We want to make it easy and fun to create Shorts,” adding that, “As we continue to build Shorts alongside our creators and artists, we’ll be adding more features for users to try.”

When it comes to music, artists and creators will have a large library of songs to use in their Shorts from over 250 labels and publishers around the world, including Universal Music Group’s labels and publishing companies, Sony Music Entertainment and Sony Music Publishing, Warner Music Group and Warner Chappell Music, Believe, Merlin, Because Music, Beggars and Kobalt.

As of today, the YouTube Shorts player has surpassed 6.5 billion daily views globally.

Shorts will be integrated into the YouTube experience users already know and love. For example, if a user hears a snippet of a song on Shorts, they can easily find the full song, watch the music video, or learn more about the artist — all on YouTube.

YouTube has helped an entire generation of creators turn their creativity into businesses and become the next generation of media companies. Over the last three years, we’ve paid more than $30 billion to creators, artists, and media companies.

With Shorts being a new way to watch and create on YouTube, the company has been looking at various ways to monetize Shorts and reward creators for their content, including the recently announced YouTube Shorts Fund, a $100 million fund distributed over the course of 2021-2022.

“We know that it will take us time to get this right, and we’re just getting started. We can’t wait for you to try Shorts and help us build a first-class short-form video experience right on YouTube” Sherman said.