YouTube says its TikTok rival Shorts is helping musicians rapidly grow subscribers
- YouTube’s global head of music Lyor Cohen said he is excited about the opportunity of short videos, but those that don’t link to longer content are ‘junk food’
- As some creators feel pressure to make viral TikTok moments, Google’s video platform is betting on a combination of short- and long-form video
Pop singer JVKE has been posting short clips of himself dancing and clowning around on YouTube’s Shorts video platform for more than a year.
In one, he sings into a soda bottle. In another, he pretends to show what to do if you catch your girlfriend cheating on you. Spoiler alert: It involves writing a new song.
In data shared exclusively with Bloomberg, the social media site said artists are using Shorts, its TikTok competitor, to rapidly grow their subscribers. In addition to JVKE, others benefiting from the product include singers Madilyn Bailey, Cooper Alan and Emeline, who increased their subscriber counts by 480,000, 290,000 and 150,000, respectively.
“It is a very important opportunity that both the fans and the artists have,” Lyor Cohen, YouTube’s global head of music, said in an interview.