Short-form videos are all the rage now. While it has been a media that mainstream platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook use, more and more apps add it to their site. The latest to adopt the video format is Twitch, where users can watch short videos created by their favorite streamers.
Twitch Stories
With the new feature, the Twitch app will now have a Stories tab that can be found on the Following page. With the new addition, streamers can post videos the same length as Snapchat videos and Instagram, stories for their followers.
Twitch Senior Product Manager Eduardo Fenili says that the new feature will work as it does in other apps. Creators can post pictures, texts, and clips from their full-length videos, even having the option to add custom backgrounds and pre-made canvases, as per Gizmodo.
However, this won't be available to all users. There are metrics that have to be reached before a user is eligible to post Stories. A streamer must have at least one stream in the last 30 days and have at least 30 subscribers for subscriber-exclusive Stories for paying viewers.
If eligible to create a Story, creators would be able to see the option which appears as a plus button on their accounts. They will be able to see how many users viewed the story as well as the reactions to the post.
The followers of the creator will receive push notifications letting them know that there's new content to browse through. It's likely that Twitch will offer the option to turn off these notifications in case users don't want to be alerted for every Story posted.
The feature is still not available globally, but it's set to roll out gradually over the coming weeks or months. The live stream platform also has plans to allow creators to make Stories using their phones, making it easier to upload content.
Stories are Catching Up
Instagram-like stories are becoming available in other apps as well. Telegram, for one, added the feature in the app this August. Given that the platform is a messaging app, the posts will appear above the chat list.
The stories that a user can view are from their contacts, which they will have to pull down to expand and scroll through. Like other apps, all users need to do is tap on the profile picture that has a ring around it. There's an option to skip forward and go back by tapping the right and left side of the screen.
Even YouTube Music is taking advantage of the short-form video format as it released a Reels-like feature called Samples. It can be found at the bottom of the app next to the home feed, the library, and the explore section.
The content that will appear will be based on a user's taste in music and history on the app. There are also playlists that you can swipe through when you want to discover new music. Each video will only last for 30 seconds maximum, enough to let users know if they like the song.
