YouTube has announced an update to its Shorts video recommendation system that will prioritise original content and reduce the reach of re-uploaded material.
The video-sharing platform disclosed this in a blog post published on October 1, saying the change aims to improve the short-video experience for viewers while giving creators of original content a better opportunity to grow.
According to YouTube, channels that primarily aggregate or re-upload videos from other creators without making significant changes are likely to receive less distribution in the feed.
“If you use clips from another creator, make sure you’re adding real value through your own original commentary, unique edits, or storytelling,” the company said.
YouTube also advised creators to bring their own perspective rather than relying on minor technical edits or template-based changes to modify another person’s content.
The development could affect the growing ecosystem of “clippers” — accounts that take portions of podcasts, interviews, livestreams and other long-form videos and republish them as short-form content.
However, YouTube has not said that clipping itself is prohibited.
The platform’s updated recommendation approach allows the use of other creators’ clips where they are accompanied by meaningful commentary, storytelling or creative editing.
The change is aligned with YouTube’s existing policies on reused content and is focused on how such videos are distributed through the Shorts recommendation system.
The announcement comes as short-form video continues to play a major role in YouTube’s creator ecosystem, with the platform increasingly emphasising original creation and tools designed to help creators produce and grow their own content.
