YouTube Add Shopping Features On Shorts, Just A Few Days After TikTok

YouTube Shorts arrivals new shopping features. (photo: dock. youtube)

JAKARTA - YouTube Shorts has received new shopping features, including affiliate marketing and the ability to buy items through the short video service similar to TikTok.

The Financial Times first reported, currently spending features are being tested for creators and spectators based in the United States (US), India, Brazil, Canada, and Australia.

"Overviewers in the US, India, Brazil, Canada, and Australia can view tags and interact with them and we will continue to bring tags to more creators and geography," said a Google spokesperson.

This feature provides influencers with the opportunity to mark their own products in the Shorts video which can then be purchased by the audience.

Then the affiliated marketing program, which was opened for selected US influencers, added another way for creators to monetize their Shorts videos. But, both YouTube, creators, and sellers will all take a cut from product purchases.

This comes months after YouTube launched a new way for content creators to make money from short videos, introduce ads in its Shorts video feature, and give video creators 45 percent of revenue.

The video streaming giant has struggled to compete with TikTok, an app that started hosting lip-sync and dance videos before developing to 1 billion monthly users.

And citing The Verge, the addition of the Shorts shopping feature comes just days after TikTok announced a similar feature. Last week, TikTok started testing the long-awaited Shop program, which allows users to buy products directly in the app.

TikTok has made clear its plans to integrate the shopping feature into its app. Prior to testing in the US, the feature was available in the UK and parts of Southeast Asia.

The company also appears to be preparing to build a fulfillment center in the US as part of its Shop program, with the company handling customer service, warehousing, and returns.