YouTube’s new ‘Short Series’ feature brings episodic viewing to Shorts

As microdrama apps gain traction , YouTube is clearly betting that episodic short-form storytelling will stick around. And that the format belongs on Shorts.

At its Made On YouTube event on Wednesday, the company announced “Shorts Series,” a new tool that lets creators organize their Shorts into TV-style seasons and episodes. The feature brings a more traditional episodic structure to YouTube Shorts, complete with custom thumbnails and playback.

With Shorts Series, viewers can watch a selection of Shorts as a continuous story rather than simply scrolling from one standalone clip to the next. The series will live on a creator’s YouTube channel.

The feature is rolling out to creators in the YouTube Partner Program across web, mobile and connected TVs.

The move comes as no surprise, given that YouTubers have already been experimenting with microdramas and increasingly, they’re considering it a serious business venture.