YouTube‘s TikTok rival Shorts is expanding into Latin America, Canada and the UK.
The rollout in the new markets follows the platform’s initial beta launch in September in India and the expansion of the beta into the US in March.
The full list of 25 regions / countries where the platform is now available, which also includes Brazil and Mexico, can be seen here.
TechCrunch reports that the rollout starts this week and will be completely live by the end of the month.
In addition, TechCrunch reports that Shorts is getting a new feature that will let users access the wider YouTube catalog to create their short form videos.
TechCrunch notes that ‘this will mean not only music from creators, but all kinds of video segments that may have already gone viral, or may get their 15 minutes of fame as a result of one great Short’.
The platform’s geographic expansion follows last month’s news that DIY distribution platform TuneCore and its Paris-based parent company Believe have partnered with YouTube to provide music for Shorts.
Shorts launched its beta in the US in March with 250 label and publisher partners, including Universal Music Group’s labels and publishing companies, Sony Music Entertainment and Publishing, Warner Music Group and Warner Chappell Music and others.
YouTube says that its trial run in India last year resulted in over 3.5 million views per day, and since expanding the program, the YouTube Shorts player has surpassed 6.5 billion daily views globally.
The company recently launched the YouTube Shorts Fund, a $100 million fund for creators.
Elsewhere at YouTube, the company’s Global Head of Music Lyor Cohen revealed last week that YouTube paid the music industry over $4 billion in the previous 12 months.
Speaking at AIM’s Future Independents conference last week, Cohen claimed in his opening remarks that YouTube Music is now the “fastest growing subscription service out there”.Music Business Worldwide
