YouTube Creating their own Version of TikTok

YouTube, a Google-owned company, has announced a new “short-form video feature” platform called Shorts. Shorts is essentially Google’s attempt to compete with the popular app TikTok. YouTube released a statement declaring the app allows “social media creators to ‘shoot short, catchy videos using nothing but their mobile phones'” (Yurieff). YouTube plans to test the platform by releasing a beta version of the app in India. Earlier this year, TikTok was banned in the country due to a posed threat upon “sovereignty and integrity” (Yurieff). India has been looking for a replacement platform for TikTok for months, as the app was banned in late June.

I am very interested to see how Shorts develops over the next several months. We learned in class that google can have access to a lot of individual private information. I am curious if other countries will investigate how Shorts gathers data about their users, and how that information is used. However, since the platform is associated with YouTube, I believe more countries worldwide will have less suspicion about privacy violations as YouTube has been used universally since its creation in 2005. Likewise, I am interested to see if Google will implement some method of synching Shorts to YouTube. This may be a technique that Google uses to persuade current TikTok users to switch over to Shorts in the near future.

Overall, I believe Google is attempting to take advantage of TikTok’s controversy in order to develop a user base, especially by deciding to beta test in a country like India. It will be fascinating to watch how the country monitors this app during the early stages of beta testing; however, I do not believe a Google-owned platform will have as many issues as TikTok did with its parent company ByteDance.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/14/tech/youtube-shorts-tiktok-india/index.html

15 thoughts on “YouTube Creating their own Version of TikTok

  1. I find it very intersting that Youtube is implementing these “shorts.” I think this will generate a lot of usage for youtube because nowadays millenials, Gen z, etc. don’t have very long attention spans which is why the short videos (like TikTok) are so popular. Youtube was very smart to do something like this, because although right now TikTok is a huge trend, trends do end up dying off eventually. And with talk of the TikTok being deleted, it was definitely a smart move for Youtube to come in and create their own version.

    Companies copy other company’s ideas so frequently that it is hard to say where the original idea even came from. There was vine, triller, musicaly, and now TikTok. This just goes to show that TikTok did not come up with the idea of short entertaining videos, but just built off of it which is now what Youtube is doing in order to broaden their platform.

    In the article it states, “YouTube said the tool is for social media creators to “shoot short, catchy videos using nothing but their mobile phones.” It will offer a way to string multiple clips together, add music, and use a timer and countdown to record videos hands-free, all features currently available on TikTok.” This description is almost perfectly describing the way TikTok already operates, so I am excited to see if Youtube ends up doing anything to differentiate themselves from TikTok, or to build off/advance from the features TikTok already has.

    Source:
    https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/14/tech/youtube-shorts-tiktok-india/index.html

  2. I belive the development of “Shorts” will be a great succesful. Afterall, TikTok’s model is already successful, which does not need lots of further improvements. Moreover, Google is one of the largest companies around the world and it has a good reputation. However, even though TikTok is ordered to be sold due to privacy concerns, I think other companies would also have privacy concerns.
    According to Wikipedia, On March 10, 2009, Google reported that a bug in
    Google Docs had allowed unintended access to some private documents. It was believed that 0.05% of all documents stored via the service were affected by the bug; Google is suspected of collecting and aggregating data about Internet users through the various tools it provides to developers, such as Google Analytics, Google Play Services, reCAPTCHA, Google Fonts, and Google APIs. In short, to enforce a stricter privacy regulation is inevitable.

    SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privacy_concerns_regarding_Google

  3. This is an interesting development. I think that Google is very smart for developing Shorts. Since TikTok has faced so much controversy, this can act as a back-up if the app is banned from the US all together. I think it is a good idea to test the app in India, since they already are looking for a TikTok replacement. Millions of content creators are looking for a new platform. Shorts has the potential to be very popular. If it is able to gain public trust and be user-friendly, I don’t see it failing. Personally, I have many friends who have deleted TikTok for security reasons. I think those consumers would be more trusting of Google and they would probably download Shorts if it was released in the US.

    Source: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/youtube-shorts/380811/

  4. I believe Google’s attempt to compete with TikTok could have great success. There is clearly a market for short-clip social media apps (ie. Vine, TikTok) that is seeing a great shift amidst TikTok’s security concerns. Google is trying to convert people who have either lost access to TikTok as a result of nationwide bans in several countries, or those who have decided to forgo their use of the app for personal security reasons to Shorts.

    Google is also seen as a much more reliable company than TikTok’s owning body. People trust the brand and I believe this could greatly contribute to Shorts’ success. It will be interesting to see how the potential sale of TikTok develops and how it impacts the “clip-app” market.

  5. I agree that is super interesting watching YouTube and Google try to compete that way. I’m not sure how much traction they’ll receive outside of India if Shorts is its own app though. In recent years it has become very common for social media apps to copy other social media apps. Once snapchat rose in popularity it was only a matter of time until Facebook, Instagram, and even YouTube had their own version of stories similar to snapchat. I believe where YouTube is failing here is having Shorts be its own app. All of these other forms of copying have enhanced user experience on an app because it is part of the app. Most people already have YouTube on their phones/devices making shorts a part of YouTube at least in the beginning I believe is the best way to leverage people to become avid users. I do, however, think that this could be successful in India and potentially anywhere else TikTok gets banned as it does seem to have enough similarities to the app and to Vine.
    https://techcrunch.com/2020/09/14/youtube-launches-its-tiktok-rival-youtube-shorts-initially-in-india/

  6. It is very common that the company will copy a successful business model from others. After the news of banning Tiktok released, many social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook made some moves like introducing their new short-video functions. However, the result does not look good. Even though such a business model is easy to copy, the content and user royalty require time to establish.

    Nonetheless, as the biggest video platform, Youtube has an extensive and robust audience base, which is already a high start. Meanwhile, most people who use TikTok are very young. They have a high acceptance rate for new stuff, so it won’t be tough to switch from TikTok to Youtube shorts as long as it could provide good content.

  7. I think that this move by Youtube is genius. For one, “short-video” apps have blown up not only in the United States, but all around the world in the past few years. Starting with Vine, then onto Tiki’s Tok, short videos are the newest hot trend. Some of these “Tik Tokers” are huge celebrities and role models to the younger generation. They are even bigger than some movie stars! Why is Tok Tok such a hit you ask? I believe that it is short enough to catch peoples attentions, and still contain a good message. Videos are also much more entertaining than pictures are (most of the time). Now I do not believe Youtube “Shorts” will completely take over the market of Tik Tok, but in a Country where our president is threatening the ban of Tik Tok, these Youtube shorts could be the next big thing.

    Source: https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/building-youtube-shorts

  8. I think that YouTube releasing a product similar to TikTok in a country where the Chinese app is banned is a good marketing move. I believe YouTube Shorts is very identical to TikTok. Its interface looks exactly the same as TikTok, and it has the exact same controls, with adding music, video effects, etc. According to Matthew Southern, from the Search Engine Journal, YouTube Shorts’ creation function is already present and prominent in the Android version of the YouTube app (Southern 2020). I think that YouTube’s company, Google, is strategically placing its products in markets that they have easy access too, Android phones (because Google developed Androids operating system) and India, which is looking for an app that functions similarly to TikTok. In recent months, TikTok has had intense competition with Instagram, as Instagram Reels was released early last month, and Quibi, a short form content distributor (Craft Co). I think YouTube is preparing for TikTok to be wiped off the market, as it has many privacy concerns, and YouTube is preparing to take its place. In the end, YouTube and its parent company, Google, have way more reach as YouTube rakes in 2 billion monthly users, while TikTok has 700 million monthly users (Southern 2020).

    Source:
    https://www.searchenginejournal.com/youtube-shorts/380811/#close
    https://craft.co/tiktok/competitors

  9. Honestly I’m not surprised to see this – I feel like everyone has been trying to take advantage of the Tik Tok controversy, with “Triller” gaining in popularity and Instagram creating “reels” which is effectively Tik Toks. In fact, on Instagram reels, you can even repost Tik Toks, so I think these companies are making calculated moves to fulfill the potential need for an app like Tik Tok if it gets shut down. However, not everyone thinks Reels will be able to replace Tik Tok entirely, because a lot of people are using BOTH Tik Tok and Reels to continue to generate a following.

    Source: https://time.com/5875788/instagram-reels-tiktok/

  10. I find it very intersting that Youtube is implementing these “shorts.” I think this will generate a lot of usage for youtube because nowadays millenials, Gen z, etc. don’t have very long attention spans which is why the short videos (like TikTok) are so popular. Youtube was very smart to do something like this, because although right now TikTok is a huge trend, trends do end up dying off eventually. And with talk of the TikTok being deleted, it was definitely a smart move for Youtube to come in and create their own version.

    Companies copy other company’s ideas so frequently that it is hard to say where the original idea even came from. There was vine, triller, musicaly, and now TikTok. This just goes to show that TikTok did not come up with the idea of short entertaining videos, but just built off of it which is now what Youtube is doing in order to broaden their platform.

    In the article it states, “YouTube said the tool is for social media creators to “shoot short, catchy videos using nothing but their mobile phones.” It will offer a way to string multiple clips together, add music, and use a timer and countdown to record videos hands-free, all features currently available on TikTok.” This description is almost perfectly describing the way TikTok already operates, so I am excited to see if Youtube ends up doing anything to differentiate themselves from TikTok, or to build off/advance from the features TikTok already has.

    Source:
    https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/14/tech/youtube-shorts-tiktok-india/index.html

  11. This is the first time I am hearing of YouTube introducing “shorts” or videos similar to Tik Tok. I think that Youtube doing this will help their usage of the app with their users to increase because everyone loves to watch a short video of some kind of entertainment. For a lot of people scrolling through videos like these is an easy and mindless activity for one to engage in. A lot of people will turn to YouTube to browse what kind of content is going on at that moment.

    It’s a way to send a message, show a tutorial, or put out quick content which is all about catching the eye of the user. A lot of social media influencers have picked this up and have been participating in little videos to help keep their following intrigued. YouTube is all about videos and entertaining people with vlogs and content of what people want to see. I think that this will help youtube be a competitor in this market of short videos and overall be very successful. Instagram, TikTok, and now Youtube are all huge platforms that are now competitors in introducing reels. TikTok having the potential to be banned from the US is a business opportunity for many companies that are introducing short videos. Everyone has really become obsessed with short videos and quick content because its quick, simple, and receives a lot of attention.

    I wonder which “reels” or “shorts” will be the most popular amongst the different groups’ of TikTok users moving to other platforms. The look and layout of the videos are quite the same however, I wonder what kind of data YouTube will collect in order to personalize everyone’s feed to make it useful and entertaining for them.

    https://www.businessinsider.com/instagram-reels-tiktok-competitor-short-video-us-launch-explainer-2020-7

  12. This is the first time I am hearing of Youtube’s intent to create a Tiktok like feature called Shorts. It seems like it has the potential to be very successful, especially if Tiktok gets banned in the US. Millions of people go on Tiktok everyday and use it for a form of entertainment, so if it is banned, they will be looking for another app to use that is similar. The aspect of being able to create the videos right on a mobile phone and upload them quickly is very important. In the article I read, it said that Youtube will be launching the app first in India. Since Tiktok was banned in India, I am sure it will have some success. It will be interesting to see how people react to the use of data by Youtube rather than Tiktok and if the security concerns will still be relevant. The article also said that Instagram created a Tiktok like feature called Reels, but it has not been successful so far. With the concerns of privacy and security, it will be interesting to watch the success of Shorts and see if people really start to use it and transition away from Tiktok. Since there are already so many loyal Tiktok users, it is hard for me to see many switching to Shorts, unless they are forced by a ban.

    Source: https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/14/21436158/youtube-starts-tiktok-competitor-short-form-video-instagram-reels-beta-test

  13. I did not know that youtube is also making a version of tik Tok. I have seen a couple other media companies also doing this. For example, instagram’s “Reels” feature is also trying to simulate the tik Tok experience. “Reels” was launched on August 5.

    It is not surprising to me that these companies are launching their own versions of tiktok. they always seem to incorporate other media outlets original ideas and make them their own. For example, the “story feature.” I believe snapchat was the first app to use stories. Now facebook, instagram, youtube and tiktok all have their own version of a story. So it just isn’t surprising that the concept of short, casual videos are making their way on more social platforms.

    I am curious to see how these will work out, an if the privacy concerns will be avoided when it is used on other apps. I am also interested in the success of each companies short video feature. Will the youtube “shorts” and the instagram “reels” even compare to a classic tiktok?

    source: https://www.businessinsider.com/instagram-reels-tiktok-competitor-short-video-us-launch-explainer-2020-7

  14. I think that it is a great idea that Youtube is taking the initiative of creating a new platform, like TikTok, where people can share their short clips. TikTok being such a popular app and the possibility that it might be deleted soon must devastate young kids and creators that use this app on the daily. I was recently in the nail salon where the owners son, who is 7 years old, told me to delete TikTok because “they are watching us.” Hearing this come from such a young little boy blew my mind that he knew what was going on with this app. His alternative was the Youtube version of TikTok. He showed me this app which resembled TikTok almost exactly. Same scroll, feature, likes, comments, etc. I think that if TikTok were to be banned, this alternative version will do just the same thing.

  15. Tik Tok copy cats are on the rise, especially with the uncertainty of Tik Tok’s future in America. In addition to Youtube’s Shorts, Instagram recently announced Reels. Their platform is essentially exactly the same as Tik Tok, in fact, I’ve noticed many accounts have even begun to post the same short videos on both apps. Instagram is owned by Facebook, an American company. Facebook has faced many of their own security concerns over recent years, however, they have worked to gain back the public’s trust. Now that Americans have started feeling more comfortable posting on Facebook and Instagram, Instagram will leverage this new trust in security and privacy concerns to make users switch over from Tik Tok to Reels.

    Instagram will make sure users know their app isn’t at risk of being shut down. Users will enjoy this security to be able to continue to grow their platform. Some are already posting videos on Tik Tok saying to follow their respective Instagrams.

    I find the irony with Instagram trying to take over Tik Tok at a weak moment so interesting because of Facebook’s recent privacy concerns. People are so quick to criticize Tik Tok but Reels is owned by the same company that sold people’s data to third party users and was vague when telling users where the data was going. This makes me wonder, will Tik Tok be able to make their come back from the bad press on privacy concerns?

    Source:https://www.businessinsider.com/instagram-reels-tiktok-competitor-short-video-us-launch-explainer-2020-7

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