Rema’s Calm Down: YouTube Shorts responsible for 500% viewership surge

In January alone, after crossing 60 million views, fans uploaded 15- to 60-second-long clips featuring the track, leading to a 350 million increase in unique viewers that translates to a 500% surge.

YouTube says fan-created Shorts have increased the average artist’s audience of unique viewers by more than 80%, nearly doubling an artist’s total reach, with artists who upload Shorts witnessing more than 50% of their new channel subscribers coming directly from their Shorts posts on average.

This success has prompted YouTube to redefine what reach means for artists on the platform. As of April, its Analytics for Artists total reach metrics now include fan-uploaded Shorts in addition to official content uploaded by the artist and long-form videos uploaded by fans. This updated yardstick seeks to offer a complete overview of the number of individuals who are listening to an artist's music across all video formats, making it the most extensive measure of an artist's audience size on the platform.

YouTube has also created a brand new Songs section in analytics to help artists see how fans are listening to their music or creating with it, across all video formats, all in one place.

“Shorts are the appetiser to the entree,” YouTube Global Head of Music Lyor Cohen said. “They are the entry point, leading fans to discover the depth of an artist’s catalogue, including music videos, interviews, live performances, lyric videos, and more.”

Cohen added: “In a multi-format world, it is important to have multi-format standards of success, and YouTube is leading the way in providing a comprehensive view of an artist’s audience. With its ability to accommodate every format, including long-form videos, live streams, Shorts, and more, YouTube is the best place for every music fan to enjoy their favourite artists.”