YouTube is experimenting with merging Shorts and long-form videos in a single feed to maximize viewership across all content types. Despite seeming contradictory, this move aims to capitalize on the 70 billion daily views generated by Shorts. The experiment involves mixing video formats, including long-form videos, within the Shorts feed. This raises questions about how horizontally formatted long-form clips will fit into the vertically aligned Shorts feed.
YouTube acknowledges that this could be an odd experience but believes it could boost broader video promotion. Shorts have driven significant growth in engagement, and aligning recommendations around this format may drive overall viewership. Creators might see their long-form videos viewed in the Shorts Feed measured as Shorts in YouTube Analytics, which could be confusing.
The ultimate goal may be to increase full-screen, vertically-aligned viewing on YouTube. The success of these display experiments and user response will be interesting to observe.
