New YouTube Shorts Creation Tools [2023]

The battle for the most popular short form video videos continues to be led by frontrunners TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. With over 50 billion daily views worldwide on the YouTube Shorts platform, it’s a major platform you can’t afford to be missing out on1. As a way to help you level up your media, there were several YouTube Shorts tools rolled out in August of 2023 that you should be using to your advantage. 

Today, we’re looking at these new YouTube Shorts creation tools to show you how to integrate them into your content production routine. They’re meant to inspire creators to collaborate with other creators or their content, improve discoverability, and help with creative editing to boost media performance.

New to the platform? Learn what YouTube Shorts videos are in our previous introduction to the short form video segment of the world’s second-largest search engine — YouTube.

What Are the New YouTube Shorts Creation Tools?

As a way to bring more creators onto the short form video side of the YouTube platform, aid creators in YouTube Shorts monetization, and attract more viewers, the video platform giant is always evolving to add new features to its arsenal. In August 2023, it was announced they’d be rolling out six new YouTube Shorts creation tools to provide even more opportunities for creators to generate content and engage with their viewers.

These six new YouTube Shorts tool and feature options are:

1. Collab, for remixing existing content in a side-by-side format
2. New effects and stickers for editing YouTube Shorts
3. Live stream capability to increase discoverability and connect with viewers
4. Creation suggestions to inspire your content
5. Curated lists where you can save YouTube Shorts to a playlist
6. Video recomposition tool to transform long form content into vertical videos

1. Collab Feature to Remix YouTube Shorts Content

Taking a huge step to compete against other short form trendsetters like TikTok, the first in the lineup of new YouTube Shorts creation tools is the Collab feature. This YouTube Shorts tool allows you to record your video in a side-by-side format.

The Collab YouTube Shorts tool is an expansion of the Remix feature, letting creators create a new video while using part of existing Shorts content on the platform. It gives you more streamlined methods for responding to — or engaging with —  viral videos and sounds to stay on top of trends and attract viewers.

To use the Collab features, all you have to do is hit “Remix” on an eligible existing video and then select “Collab” for the side-by-side layout. It’s a feature similar to Duets on TikTok, once more adding to the platform battle between YouTube Shorts vs TikTok for vertical video content.

The new YouTube Shorts tool for Collab was initially rolled out to iOS users, with Android users gaining access a few weeks later.

2. New Effects and Stickers for YouTube Shorts

YouTube is always adding new stickers and effects to give creators new ways to express themselves and edit their videos. The latest stickers and effects were part of the rollout of new YouTube Shorts creation tools and include a very interesting addition: the Q&A sticker.

The Q&A YouTube Shorts tool lets you ask viewers questions and get responses in your comments. It’s meant to help creators engage directly with their viewers for more authentic connections and communication between people. While the sticker can be viewed on all devices, at this time it can’t be clicked on desktop or TV versions.

3. Live Stream on YouTube Shorts

Another of the new YouTube Shorts creation tools that will help it compete against platforms like TikTok is a vertical live stream feature optimized for mobile devices. This is meant to help increase discoverability right within the YouTube Shorts feed.

Like on TikTok, viewers in the test for this feature will be able to see some live streams in their Shorts feed. Once they tap to join a live stream, they’ll be placed in a scrollable feed of different live videos.

Live streaming helps creators establish direct connections with their viewers which can increase followers and boost the overall performance metrics of your other posts along the way. This YouTube Shorts tool will also include Super Chat, Super Stickers, and channel memberships.

YouTube has commented that it’s also a great way for less-established creators to build their followers and engage with viewers thanks to the new, lower eligibility requirements for joining the YouTube Partner Program2. 

4. Creation Suggestions

To help creators jump on trends easily, they also introduced Creation Suggestions as part of their latest YouTube Shorts creation tools rollout. This lets you bundle the audio and effect from the Short you’re remixing from automatically, saving you from having to hunt down how to recreate that particular sound or effect when making your video.

For example, if you want to use the same sound as a video you just watched to create your own media, you can tap the Remix button and select “use sound.” The platform will automatically select the same audio timestamp from that Short as well as the same effect as a creation suggestion.

This is a powerful resource for creators to engage with one another’s work, create unique videos with their favorite sounds or effects they’ve seen, and stay on top of viral trends on the platform.

5. Curated Lists for Saving YouTube Shorts

The next feature in the latest rollout of YouTube Shorts creation tools impacts creators and viewers. You can now save YouTube Shorts and make your own lists right within the platform itself. This lets you curate a list of your favorites to view again whenever you’d like.

As a creator, this also lets you scroll and save Shorts that inspire you to create your content without having to remember what that video was later or stop what you’re doing to film right then. It’s an easy way to plan ahead for content or save that effect you want to try out.

6. Video Recomposition to Repurpose Horizontal Content

In the past, creators have used YouTube Shorts as teasers to push viewers to their main accounts. When the platform began to allow realtors to monetize original Shorts, there was a shift in how to use it.

Now, instead of using Shorts as a method to tease long form content, one of the latest YouTube Shorts creation tools will allow you to easily repurpose your horizontal media into vertical short form content. The video recomposition YouTube Shorts tool lets you adjust the layout, zoom, and crop of the video segment you’ve selected to Remix.

In addition to the transformational capabilities of this video composition feature, creators will also be able to select side-by-side layouts to preserve key elements of their horizontal content they want to leave intact to create unique Shorts.

The YouTube Shorts platform continues to compete against Instagram Reels and TikTok for the top spot for vertical short form media. These new YouTube Shorts creation tools will service creators well and enable them to connect more directly and genuinely with viewers. They provide new ways to create unique content that stands out and show more promise for future features to come. 

Find ways to integrate these YouTube Shorts tools into your content production process and elevate your video performance.

YouTube Shorts Creator Resources

As YouTube Shorts creation tools continue to grow, take a look at these resources to elevate your media and boost performance:

• How to Promote YouTube Videos
• Video Accessibility Checklist for Content Creators
• YouTube Shorts vs Instagram Reels
• How to Remix a YouTube VIdeo Into a Short

Additional Source

1. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1364763/youtube-shorts-total-daily-views/
2. https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/more-ways-for-creators-to-earn-on-youtube/