YouTube Shorts, Google LLC’s short-form video app and rival to TikTok, arrived in the U.S. today.

Shorts was previously released only in India, where it seems it has become quite popular, although it remains to be seen if YouTube can pose a challenge to the incredibly popular TikTok. Today in a blog post, the company said the YouTube Shorts player is currently getting about 6.5 billion views daily.

As for how it differs from TikTok, the answer is: Not very much. YouTube has partnered with 250 publishers including Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group, so there will be a long list of soundtracks to choose from. The app includes all the tools to create and edit videos, speed controls for sound and video, and the ability to add text over the video.

YouTube said more features will come soon, which could be a good thing seeing as early users have said that compared with TikTok, features are lacking – notably sound-syncing tools and the augmented reality features found on the Chinese app. However, being the largest video platform in the world has its advantages.

“In the coming months, we’ll launch the ability to use audio from videos across YouTube – which includes billions of videos worldwide – unlocking a new playground of creativity like never before,” YouTube said. “This means you can give your own creative spin on the content you love to watch on YouTube and help find it a new audience — whether it’s reacting to your favorite jokes, trying your hand at a creator’s latest recipe, or re-enacting comedic skits.”

The two platforms will be further integrated, in that if people see a snippet from a video on Shorts, they’ll be able to click into the full song on YouTube. It works the other way around, too, so with a full-length video, they’ll have the option to create a video from it on Shorts.

“As more people create and watch Shorts, we expect that our systems will get even better, improving our ability to help you discover new content, trends, and creators you’ll love,” the company said. What’s also enticing is the fact YouTube is currently working on monetization options.

To find Shorts, users in the U.S. can go to the YouTube homepage and they will see a new row dedicated to the app. As for mobile, YouTube said it’s testing adding a Shorts tab so people can get into the app in a single click.

Photo: YouTube