Following the trend set by Snapchat and Facebook, it has been revealed that YouTube is testing a new feature called “Reels”. Reels in concept is expected to be similar to stories that we see on Snapchat or Instagram. Reels will get its own dedicated tab which will be separate from the main list of videos a creator uploads. This idea of bringing something similar to stories could possibly be the brainchild of Todd Sherman, who was earlier the Product Manager of Snapchat’s trendsetting stories feature.
YouTube believes that people need an easier way to upload videos and not necessarily make full length videos to publish on YouTube. Reels was recently tested among a small number of content creators and it is not sure if it will be rolled out to a large audience. What sets this new YouTube feature apart from the existing stories feature on Snapchat and Instagram is that the stories in Reels won’t disappear in 24 hours or any specific number of hours. YouTube will allow the content creator to have multiple Reels and each Reel will have its own set of videos. This is very different from Snapchat or Instagram where each temporary post is part of one single story.
The process of uploading videos on Reels is expected to be like something where you shoot small videos of around 30 seconds each and then add filters and music to your clips. YouTube is trying to bring in features which are creator focused. Such features will allow creators to link YouTube videos and YouTube stickers.
Reels is expected to receive mixed reactions from users who might think Reels would invade their YouTube experience. But so far it seems that this new feature won’t be placed at the top in such a way that it would force users to watch or engage with Reels. Possibly it would be a feature that will be activated by a user only if he wishes to watch or engage with Reels. Reels will then be displayed in your main home tab.
Reels will undergo a lot of experimentation and changes before it is rolled out to a worldwide audience and content creators.
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