Can I upload TikTok videos to YouTube Shorts? + How to Do It

Consider you’ve just created a TikTok video that gets many views and engagement. You’re excited and want to share it on YouTube Shorts so that you can reach an even broader audience. But then you wonder, “Can I upload TikTok videos to YouTube Shorts?” If you’ve ever wondered something similar, you’re not alone.

Many creators face the same dilemma, especially when brainstorming YouTube Shorts ideas. Shorts can maximize the reach of your TikTok videos and boost your visibility on YouTube. This guide will answer whether you can upload TikTok videos to YouTube Shorts. It will also explore how repurposing content across platforms can help you find viral trends.  

Virlo's tool can help identify viral trends. The virality analysis tool provides insight into what makes videos go viral on YouTube Shorts. This way, you can create Shorts that align with your TikTok content to help you reach your goals.

Table of Content

• Can I Upload TikTok Videos on YouTube Shorts

• How to Upload TikTok Videos on YouTube Shorts in 6 Simple Steps

• Benefits of Using TikTok Videos on YouTube Shorts

• How to Make Viral YouTube Shorts

• Go Viral with Virlo's Virality Analysis Tool

Can I Upload TikTok Videos on YouTube Shorts

You can upload TikTok videos to YouTube Shorts. However, you'll need to make some adjustments for the different platform formats. YouTube Shorts are designed for vertical, short-form videos (under 60 seconds), while TikTok allows longer vertical videos. You can repurpose your TikTok content by trimming long videos, adding text, or adjusting the composition.

Different Features of YouTube Shorts and TikTok

YouTube Shorts

Short-form, vertical videos (under 60 seconds).  

TikTok

Allows longer vertical videos.  

How to Repurpose TikTok Videos for YouTube Shorts

Trimming

If your TikTok video is longer than 60 seconds, you'll need to trim it to fit the Shorts format.  

Adding Text

Add text overlays to your Shorts to enhance engagement or provide context.  

Adjusting Composition

Consider how your video will look in the Shorts format, ensuring the key elements are visible.

How to Upload TikTok Videos on YouTube Shorts in 6 Simple Steps

1. Remove the Watermark

To avoid any issues with YouTube’s algorithm, it is crucial to remove the watermark from your TikTok video before uploading it to Shorts. YouTube might deprioritize videos with watermarks from other platforms. Use a tool like Remove Logo Now or Apowersoft Online Watermark Remover to remove the TikTok watermark. 

2. Add Thumbnails

YouTube allows you to upload custom thumbnails for your videos. Thumbnails help grab viewers’ attention and improve click-through rates. Create an engaging thumbnail for your Short video before uploading it to YouTube. 

3. Engage with the Title

Like thumbnails, titles help introduce your video to viewers and are essential for SEO. Catchy titles with relevant keywords help get your video discovered on YouTube. 

4. Optimize for YouTube's Audience

While you might have TikTok followers who will appreciate your content on YouTube, optimizing your Shorts for YouTube viewers is important. Ensure the content appeals to YouTube’s audience, not just TikTok fans. 

5. Keep It Under 60 Seconds

YouTube Shorts has a one-minute limit. If your TikTok video is too long, trim it to fit the YouTube Shorts requirement. 

6. Upload to YouTube

Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how to upload your TikTok video to YouTube Shorts: 

• Log in to your TikTok account.

• Select “My Videos” from the menu.

• Select the video you’d like to download. 

• Tap on the three dots in the bottom right corner of the video. 

• Select “Download” and wait for the video to save to your device. Once it’s finished downloading, open your YouTube account. 

• Click “Upload” and select the video from your device. 

• Add a captivating title and description to your video, select the category and tags, and click “Publish.”

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Benefits of Using TikTok Videos on YouTube Shorts

1. Gain Access to a Wider Audience  

TikTok videos are great for grabbing attention, but why limit yourself to just one platform? YouTube Shorts can quickly put your content in front of an entirely different audience. This audience may be larger than you’ve been targeting on TikTok. YouTube has over two billion monthly active users. This means uploading TikTok videos to YouTube Shorts can help you reach a different demographic. By repurposing your content this way, you may get more views on your TikTok videos.  

2. Fill Out Your Content Calendar  

You’ve already created the content, so uploading it to YouTube is like getting a free video to fill out your content calendar. Content repurposing can also help alleviate some of the stress of developing new ideas for your next video. Instead of starting from scratch, you can look at your existing TikToks and see what you can use to create a new YouTube Shorts video.   

3. Promote Your TikTok Account  

By repurposing your TikToks, you can promote your TikTok videos and YouTube channels, potentially gaining more followers. TikTok Shorts are perfect for bite-sized storytelling. So, instead of creating a new video to introduce your next TikTok challenge, consider repurposing your existing TikTok to get more eyes on your account.  

4. More Ways to Make Money  

While TikTok has the Creator Fund, YouTube’s Shorts Fund is another way for you to monetize your short-form videos. You can also use YouTube's AdSense once you qualify for monetization. Take Charli D’Amelio, the queen of TikTok, for example. She’s mastered the art of repurposing her TikTok for YouTube Shorts. Her TikTok dances and challenges go viral on YouTube Shorts, reaching new fans who might not even be on TikTok. It’s a simple strategy: record once and post everywhere. Genius.  

Use Virlo for Finding Viral Topics

Virlo helps short-form content creators crack the code of virality through AI-powered trend analysis. Our platform combines creator insights with advanced analytics to identify winning content patterns, optimal posting times, and successful audio/video combinations that help your content stand out in today's fast-moving social landscape. 

Perfect for independent creators looking to build a sustainable side business, Virlo takes the guesswork out of content strategy. We analyze the latest viral trends and help you understand when to post and what combinations of elements drive engagement. Whether you're just starting or looking to optimize your existing content, Virlo enables you to navigate the ever-changing algorithms to increase your chances of going viral. Go viral with Virlo's virality analysis tool.

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How to Make Viral YouTube Shorts

Use Virlo for Finding Trends for YouTube Shorts

Virlo helps short-form content creators crack the code of virality through AI-powered trend analysis. Our platform combines creator insights with advanced analytics to identify winning content patterns, optimal posting times, and successful audio/video combinations that help your content stand out in today's fast-moving social landscape. 

Perfect for independent creators looking to build a sustainable side business, Virlo takes the guesswork out of content strategy. We analyze the latest viral trends and help you understand when to post and what combinations of elements drive engagement. Whether you're just starting or looking to optimize your existing content, Virlo helps you navigate the ever-changing algorithms to increase your chances of going viral. Go viral with Virlo's virality analysis tool.

Give It an Attractive Title

Optimizing the title/caption of your Short is just as important as making the video itself engaging. Consider using the title as a hook to keep viewers watching your Short until its end. You’ll need to experiment with this since different kinds of language work for various audiences. That said, it’s a good idea to keep your title short and punchy and use words that resonate with your audience.

Make the First Few Seconds Count

Come up with a compelling hook to get your viewers’ attention within the first few seconds of your video. Avoid clickbait, though! Nothing makes a viewer swipe to the next YouTube Short faster than a clickbait video. It’s a great idea to brainstorm a few hooks before filming your Short and to ensure you experiment with different hooks across your videos.

Create the Perfect Loop

YouTube Shorts are played on a loop by default. If the viewer doesn’t swipe to the next Short video, they will see the same Short again for the second time or even more times. A perfect loop will help make your Shorts look crisper. When filming and editing a Short, create a seamless loop to encourage multiple views.

Re-Hook Your Audience

It isn’t enough to create a strong hook for the beginning portion of your Short video. Despite the short length, you must keep viewers engaged throughout its duration. Ideally, you should aim to re-hook your audience every three to five seconds, whether with a trending sound, text, or other visuals.

Create Consistently

Whenever a new platform or a feature like YouTube Shorts gets released, content creators will pour themselves into testing it out and figuring out how to make it a part of their strategy. But all too often, these creators give up after a few attempts that don’t go far. If you want to go viral with Shorts, you have to create them consistently. That can be one video a day or one a week, but just make sure you stick with them. That’s the only way you’ll start seeing results!

Use Relevant Hashtags

Hashtags are a great way to make your Shorts more discoverable and should be part of your YouTube Shorts strategy. Do some research, see what hashtags top creators in your specific niche use or what hashtags are featured in viral videos, and include them in your content.

Post Your Shorts at the Right Time

While there’s no hard-and-fast rule for the best time to post on YouTube Shorts, you can follow some general tips. According to research from HubSpot, most marketers post YouTube content between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays, or Saturdays. That’s generally a good time to post. But if you have a big enough audience, you can check YouTube Analytics to see when your subscribers will most likely be on the platform—post at those times for the best chance of going viral.

Learn from the Competition

Ever heard the saying “great artists steal?” It has been attributed to everyone, from Russian composer Igor Stravinsky to Steve Jobs, but the whole saying goes like this: “Good artists copy, great artists steal.” The difference? Copying would mean just taking what the competition’s doing and doing the same thing. “Stealing” means finding out what works, putting your spin on it, and injecting your creativity into an established format or trend. Doing this should be an essential part of your research.

Jump on Trending Music

With YouTube Shorts’ built-in Sound tool, creators can add popular songs from major labels to their videos without getting penalized. Whenever appropriate, consider featuring trending music in your Shorts to improve their chances of going viral. Pick a song that matches closely with what your Short is about.

Go Viral with Virlo's Virality Analysis Tool

You can indeed upload TikTok videos to YouTube Shorts. Both platforms support vertical videos under 60 seconds, so you can easily take your TikTok videos and repurpose them for YouTube Shorts. This is great news for creators who want to expand their reach and go viral on multiple platforms. YouTube Shorts even supports the same audio and visual effects as TikTok, so your audience will recognize your content and enjoy it as much on this new platform.  

What Happens to Your TikTok Views When You Upload to YouTube Shorts?

Short-form videos like TikToks and YouTube Shorts can go viral within days. While their shelf lives vary, they typically gain most of their views in the first week or two after publishing. After that, they can still attract random views for months or even years, but the number of views tends to dwindle. If you upload a TikTok to YouTube Shorts, the views will start over from zero. That means you must allow the video to run its course independently to see how well it performs on the new platform. In other words, don’t expect your YouTube Shorts to pick up where your TikTok left off.  

We analyze the latest viral trends and help you understand when to post and what combinations of elements drive engagement. Whether you're just starting or looking to optimize your existing content, Virlo enables you to navigate the ever-changing algorithms to increase your chances of going viral. Go viral with Virlo's virality analysis tool.

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