Facebook just became a more attractive venue for digital video creators with the announcement of an app dedicated for content creators, which is also its way of trying to compete with YouTube.
Facebook Creator
The app, called Facebook Creator, contains a smattering of tools tailored for those big on video, including Facebook Live streaming, Stories, and even a messaging component that gives them access to comments and messages pulled from Facebook's many platforms.
Standalone apps based off Facebook aren't a novel concept, with the site having released dedicated apps for managing pages or celebrities in the past. This, however, is all about video. More specifically, it's about fostering a community around video, with creators at the forefront. Facebook Creator, however, is actually just a rebranded version of Facebook Mentions, an app that until now was only accessible to "verified public figures."
Facebook Creator Features
Facebook Creator has special features set up for Facebook Live broadcasting, including the ability to let creators use their own intro or outro, plus interactive stickers and custom video frames. They can also take and edit photos and then post them to Facebook Stories and other platforms, though it's uncertain whether cross-posting on Instagram is allowed.
Perhaps the most crucial component of the app is its built-in unified inbox that collates comments from across Facebook's apps, including Instagram, Messenger, and Facebook itself. As a result, content creators wouldn't have to bounce from one app to another to interact with audiences. That being said, it's not clear which apps are included in this inbox, but the concept is already a winner.
Aside from those, content creators will be able to access analytics to see how many people are watching them or other similar metrics of that sort. iOS users can now download the app for free. Android folks have to wait for its release "in the coming months." No reason was given behind the delay, but this is usually the case with major apps.
Facebook has also released a special site for content creators where they can find tips, tricks, and other resources for creating content or connecting with audiences.
Competing With YouTube?
The app sounds useful for people already acquainted with content creation, especially if they have a growing audience. It offers them much-needed tools for more efficient Facebook Live streaming, for instance, and gives the ability to respond to their fanbase with no frills. That being said, it's not certain whether this is a particularly inviting app for those just getting started with video. For them, YouTube might be a more sensical option because it offers a wider tool set and is much easier to familiarize oneself with.
For now, Facebook Creators is a nice step toward Facebook trying to overtake YouTube as the de facto broadcasting medium. It would be interesting to see how it goes from here.
