Substack has announced updates to its video tools that aim to assist creators in promoting their livestreams.

These updates allow publishers to share video clips on Notes and receive real-time performance feedback.

Creators can now link their YouTube accounts to automatically upload top two livestream clips as Shorts and receive AI-generated highlights.

This feature is currently available on iOS and will roll out to Android users next week.

Other updates include the automated creation of promotional assets for scheduled livestreams.

Creators can also invite guests to livestreams via email or SMS, accommodating users without Substack accounts.

These updates build on Substack’s recent rollout of audio livestreams and a vertical video feed to go beyond newsletters.

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🔗 Source: TechCrunch

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Substack’s evolution reflects broader creator economy trends

Substack’s expansion from newsletters to robust video tools mirrors the growth of the creator economy, which is projected to reach $480 billion by 2027 1.

The platform’s strategic move toward livestreaming capabilities comes at a time when many creators are diversifying their income streams through multiple monetization methods 1.

This evolution represents a shift from Substack’s original 2019 positioning as primarily a text-based platform for independent writers 2.

By maintaining its simple 10% revenue share model while expanding content capabilities, Substack is addressing a market need: creators want ownership and monetization options without platform complexity 2.

The progression from basic video uploads in January 2022 to today’s AI-powered clip creation and cross-platform promotional tools shows how rapidly creator platforms must evolve to remain competitive.

2️⃣ Livestreaming emerges as the next frontier for creator engagement

Substack’s investment in livestreaming tools comes amid evidence of live content’s effectiveness: on Instagram, brands using live video see a 70% increase in engagement compared to standard posts 3.

The new clip-sharing and promotional features directly address a consumer preference, as many users across platforms prefer live content over regular posts 3.

By automatically generating promotional assets and facilitating cross-platform distribution to YouTube Shorts, Substack is removing key friction points that previously prevented many writers from expanding into video.

This strategy aligns with broader industry data showing that consumers spend an average of six hours daily on media, with preferences increasingly shifting toward streaming content 4.

The addition of guest invitation features via email or SMS specifically targets a common barrier to livestream growth—reaching potential viewers who aren’t already platform users—a challenge that even established social platforms continue to face.

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