YouTube has announced that they’re working on their own version of Snapchat or Instagram Stories, and is calling it Reels. It is not like Stories in any way, but uses the same concept.
Reels will appear in a separate tab and only creators can post videos to it on their channel. Viewers can view the videos and these stories will never disappear. The videos can be up to 30 seconds in length and content creators can use it to express themselves or say something without having to record and upload a full video.
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It does seem like a good idea, and a better way for the creators to engage with their subscribers. The feature is mobile only, obviously, and can include music, text, filters and stickers. Just like Stories on other platforms, a creator can add any number of videos to their Reels. Below is an example of what it could look like;
YouTube could make changes to Reels prior to launch, so what you see above may not be the final implementation of the feature. The company will not force Reels on to the subscribers, and they can view it only if they want to. You would also have to navigate to the creators channel to view them.
If users are found to engage with someone’s Reels a lot, then, and only then will YouTube recommend them on the users home page. We’re not exactly sure when this feature would be available on the app or when the beta testing would begin. Earlier this month, YouTube updated its YouTube TV app and also made it easier for artists to sell tickets via their videos.
via TechCrunch
