YouTube Shorts have come a long way since they launched in 2020, and more creators are using the platform than ever before. In fact, YouTube Shorts have more monthly active users than TikTok in 2022, which has been the leader in short-form video content for years.

The platform is climbing the ranks to become one of the most used short-form video platforms by creators. Continue reading to find out why YouTube Shorts are becoming increasingly popular.

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Image Credit: Galina Zhigalova/Shutterstock

YouTube Shorts are growing in popularity. With over 1.5 billion users every month, Shorts has surpassed TikTok, which had one billion monthly users in 2021. This is impressive, considering YouTube Shorts amassed that many users in two years.

Even though YouTube launched it in 2020, YouTube Shorts only rolled out to all US creators until May 2021, which left everyone wondering if YouTube Shots could compete with TikTok. For context, while TikTok has one billion users as of September 2021, it’s been around since 2016 and started becoming popular in 2017 after buying the music app Music.ly.

But creators hopped onto the YouTube Shorts trend to diversify their content, and people watched it. YouTube Shorts also faces tough competition with TikTok and Instagram Reels, which provide similar content formats. And everyone knows that the likes of Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook are trying to replicate TikTok’s success, as it popularized short-form content on social media.

For instance, in May 2022, Meta improved monetization opportunities for Reels creators to encourage them to produce more content and as part of a larger plan to compete with TikTok. Even Instagram added new tools to its Reels feature in June 2022 to bring it in line with TikTok. It’s no surprise that YouTube has stepped it up to make Shorts a formidable force in the short-form video space.

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There are multiple reasons why YouTube Shorts are growing in popularity. Let’s have a look at the main ones.

Shorts Are Built Into an Existing Platform

Unlike TikTok, Shorts are built into a larger, successful platform—YouTube. According to Business of Apps, YouTube had 2.3 billion users when it launched Shorts in 2020, allowing its massive collection of creators to diversify their content..

Unlike TikTok creators who start from scratch and have to build their audience from the ground up, YouTubers have existing channels, which means they start with subscribers who watch and support their short-form content. That's not to say that new creators can't get more TikTok fans and followers, but YouTube creators still have a slight advantage.

YouTube Has Invested Heavily in Shorts

YouTube pays creators up to $10,000 to create Shorts through its $100 million Shorts Fund to incentivize creators to produce original and engaging content.

But this money also boosts creators as they can use the money to buy equipment and invest in editing tools to make their Shorts stand out. The more they are rewarded for their Shorts content, the more content they will want to produce.

YouTube Shorts Are Way Easier to Create

The YouTube Shorts Fund motivates creators to produce top-notch Shorts. But apart from the monetary incentive, creating Shorts isn't as daunting or time-consuming as creating a YouTube video.

With Shorts, creators can produce content in less time, which means they can put out more content than usual. It's also easier for Shorts to go viral because they can be quick and punchy, unlike YouTube videos and live content, which can drag and lose viewers' interest.

Is YouTube Shorts Giving TikTok a Run for Its Money?

Of all the platforms that position themselves to compete with TikTok, YouTube has come out on top, even going as far as surpassing TikTok's monthly active users. That's thanks to YouTube's investment in Shorts and motivated creators churning out good content.

But it's important to note that TikTok remains the leading short-form video content platform due to its robust features. So, as long as YouTube releases TikTok copycat features instead of pioneering its own, it will continue to trail behind the popular app loved by many.