This approach is yielding real results channels uploading both short and long-form content are seeing better overall watch time and subscriber growth than those uploading only one format," she added. "But Shorts offer an exciting, new way to be a part of a viewer’s journey and to introduce themselves and their whole portfolio to new audiences. "Long-form content remains the best way for creators to deeply engage and develop long-term relationships with their audiences," said Tara Walpert Levy, YouTube’s vice president of the Americas. Instead of making short-form the core of its service with long-form as an option, as TikTok does, YouTube sees Shorts as a way for creators to reach a new audience who may then become more regular viewers of their long-form content.
YouTube, on the other hand, appears to be promoting a different strategy. At other times, they may be able to watch for longer periods and will turn to traditional YouTube videos to do so. In some cases, users will want to quickly scroll through shorter content - such as when killing time while out and about. The company, in its announcement, positioned its video platform as one that better reflects the reality of today's viewer, who engages with video at different times and places throughout the day. It's referring to the trend as "the rise of the multiformat creator" but, in reality, it seems to be more an admission that YouTube still sees more value in its longer-form content. Related to its new milestone, YouTube also promoted Shorts' ability to drive viewers to creators' long-form video channels as a byproduct of its investments in Shorts. Though it hasn't announced updated figures since, TikTok was forecast to hit the 1.5 billion per month user figure sometime this year.
By comparison, TikTok announced 1 billion monthly users in September 2021.
In an effort to present itself as a viable competitor to the reigning short-form video platform TikTok, YouTube announced today its rival service YouTube Shorts is now being watched by over 1.5 billion logged-in users every month, less than two years after its launch.