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YouTube Shorts will soon watermark videos just like TikTok

Watermarks will be added when you download videos and cross-post.

Youtube logo with blurred background
Image: KnowTechie

YouTube is rolling out a new feature that automatically adds a watermark to YouTube Shorts that you download.

This is similar to what you find on TikTok videos. You can tell that a video is from TikTok due to its recognizable watermark that hovers and moves on each video posted to the platform.

Previously, YouTube creators could download and share their Shorts without any watermark. That’s now changing thanks to this new update.

YouTube Shorts watermarking feature

Youtube shorts screenshots
Image: KnowTechie

The new watermark feature was announced via a support thread.

According to the post, “If you’re a creator who downloads your Shorts from YouTube Studio to share across other platforms, you’ll now find a watermark added to your downloaded content.

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It further stated, “We’ve added a watermark to the Shorts you download so your viewers can see that the content you’re sharing across platforms can be found on YouTube Shorts.”

The “feature” will start rolling out on desktop over the next couple of weeks. But on mobile, the rollout could take months.

You don’t have to do anything to get the watermark. It will be applied automatically when you try to download and cross-post YouTube Shorts.

The watermarks war

TikTok adds a watermark to its videos along with the creator’s handle. The bouncing handle is attention-grabbing and prevents cropping.

While this is great for exposure, competitors’ algorithms can recognize the source and downrank them like Meta does.

If you create Shorts solely for YouTube, there’s nothing to worry about. But, if you plan to share videos cross-platform, consider creating them with third-party software and then cross-posting to social media to avoid the watermarks war.

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Joy Okumoko is a freelance technology writer who loves all things tech. She spends her spare time crocheting and working on her crafts.

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