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YouTube Stories to Shut Down in 2023
YouTube Stories will officially shut down on June 26, 2023. The decision comes as YouTube aims to focus on other key areas, like Shorts, Community posts, live videos, and its traditional long-form content. Creators will be alerted to the shutdown through various channels, such as in-app messages, forum posts, reminders in YouTube Studio, and more.
The End of an Era
Once copied by nearly every social app, Stories have lost traction in the wake of TikTok’s rise. These days, services are adopting the short-form vertical video format popularized by TikTok instead of the more ephemeral and casual Stories format.
Abandoning the Stories Format
YouTube isn’t the only platform abandoning Stories. Netflix once tested a Stories-feature of sorts called “Extras” and later embraced vertical video with its “Fast Laughs” feature. LinkedIn also abandoned its Stories feature in 2021. Although Spotify recently introduced a feature similar to Stories, its larger redesign prioritizes TikTok-like discovery feeds as its central focus.
The Rise and Fall of YouTube Stories
First launched in 2018, YouTube officially rolled out Stories to creators with over 10,000 subscribers but never broadened access to allow casual, personal sharing to become more popular. The company had suggested that Stories could be used to engage creators’ audiences in between their polished and produced videos for things like behind-the-scenes updates, vlogs, sneak peeks at upcoming videos, quick updates, and more. Like Stories on Instagram and Snapchat, YouTube Stories disappeared after seven days, and it wasn’t possible to save them to a creator’s profile.
Limited Adoption of YouTube Stories
It’s fair to say that the feature saw limited adoption, especially given the success of other engagement tools like Community posts. The latter lets creators share quick updates, promote their content, or have conversations with fans, and according to YouTube, drove “many times more comments and likes” compared to Stories. Access to Community posts recently expanded to a broader set of creators, as YouTube dropped the requirement for >500 subscribers.
The Success of YouTube Shorts
In addition, creators have shifted their efforts in short-form video over to YouTube Shorts, a format that has proven to be even more successful than the Stories feature. On average, creators who used both Shorts and Stories experienced “many times more subscribers” on Shorts than Stories.
Creators Will Be Notified
Creators who use Stories frequently will be alerted to the shutdown via a notification in YouTube Studio, a Help Center post, and an upcoming Creator Insider video, where YouTube regularly publishes updates. Additionally, a notification will appear directly in Stories if creators access the feature before June 26th. After that date, it will no longer be possible to create a new YouTube Story, although Stories already shared will remain up for seven days.
Conclusion
The decision to shut down YouTube Stories is a reflection of shifts in the social media landscape. Short-form video formats like TikTok and YouTube Shorts have replaced the Stories feature, prompting YouTube to focus on expanding these more successful formats. While some creators may mourn the loss of the Stories feature, YouTube’s decision to prioritize areas that creators need to be successful will help ensure the platform remains competitive and relevant.
FAQ
1. When will YouTube Stories be shut down?
YouTube Stories will officially be shut down on June 26, 2023.
2. Why is YouTube shutting down Stories?
YouTube is shutting down Stories to focus on other key areas, such as Shorts, Community posts, live videos, and its traditional long-form content.
3. How will creators be alerted to the shutdown?
Creators who frequently use Stories will be alerted to the shutdown through various channels, such as in-app messages, forum posts, reminders in YouTube Studio, and an upcoming Creator Insider video.
4. What is the difference between Stories and Shorts?
Stories and Shorts are both short-form video formats, but Shorts are more successful on YouTube than Stories. Additionally, Shorts are pre-recorded and edited, while Stories are typically casual, ephemeral updates that are shot within the app.
5. Can I still view existing Stories after the shutdown?
Stories that are already live will remain up for seven days after they were originally shared. However, it will no longer be possible to create new YouTube Stories after June 26th, 2023.
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