YouTube Shorts has always featured a clean and minimal UI, making it great for quick and straightforward edits. However, creators looking for more fine-tuned editing options may find the app lacking. YouTube is now addressing this with a new update that introduces enhanced editing tools and AI features, bringing it closer to competing with apps like TikTok, Instagram, and CapCut.
New Editing Tools and AI Features in Shorts
With this update, YouTube Shorts’ in-app editor is becoming more powerful and user-friendly. Creators will now have the ability to zoom, reposition clips, add music tracks, and apply timed text with greater precision. Additionally, a real-time preview feature will allow users to check their edits more efficiently.
For those who prefer using templates, YouTube is expanding this feature by allowing users to insert photos from their gallery. Furthermore, templates will now credit the original creator, and an upcoming update will introduce visual effects for templates.
Another significant improvement is the automatic clip-to-music syncing feature, which simplifies a previously time-consuming process in the current video editor. However, multi-layer audio editing, a key feature in TikTok and other video apps, has yet to be confirmed.
Shorts is also getting new sticker options. Users will be able to add stickers from their gallery or generate AI-powered stickers using simple text prompts. Both sticker enhancements are expected to roll out in the spring update, bringing Shorts closer to TikTok’s sticker functionality.
A More Capable Alternative to Third-Party Editors?
Overall, these updates make YouTube Shorts’ editor a more capable tool, potentially reducing the need for third-party apps like CapCut. Best of all, these features remain completely free, giving YouTube an advantage over some competing platforms.
This update also comes at a time when TikTok faces an uncertain future in the USA, with a potential ban looming if no new buyer or settlement is reached by April 5. YouTube appears to be positioning Shorts as a strong alternative for short-form video creators.
Would these new Shorts video editor features make it a better standalone short-video app? What other features would you like to see? Let us know in the comments!
