[FAQ]

G’day everyone,

I’ve been doing pretty well on TikTok for a while now and reckon it’s time to start getting my content onto YouTube Shorts. I know I could just download my videos and re-upload them, but that feels a bit lazy, and I’ve heard YouTube’s algorithm doesn’t favour content with the TikTok watermark.

What’s the best way to go about this? Should I be editing them differently for Shorts? I’m also a bit worried about using the same music – are the licensing rules different on YouTube? Just want to make sure I’m doing it all properly from the start.

Any tips would be a huge help.

[Jeff Bullas]

Smart move to expand your reach.

Key Takeaway: Always upload a clean, un-watermarked version of your video to YouTube. You must also replace any TikTok-native audio with a licensed track from YouTube’s own sound library.

Treating YouTube Shorts as its own platform with unique rules, rather than a dumping ground for old TikToks, is essential for growth.

The first and most critical rule is to never re-upload a video that has the TikTok watermark on it, as the YouTube algorithm actively penalises this and will limit your video’s reach. The best professional workflow is to complete your final video edit in a third-party application, creating a clean master file that you can then upload everywhere. The second major point you must manage is the audio. Music licenses are platform-specific, meaning a sound that is cleared for use on TikTok is a copyright infringement on YouTube. You should upload your master video with its original audio only, and then add any music using the approved and licensed tracks available within the YouTube Shorts audio library. Lastly, it is a good practice to double-check the placement of your on-screen text to ensure it isn’t obscured by the different layout of the YouTube Shorts user interface.

Cheers,

Jeff

[Author]

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