Transform the music videos of your favourite artists like Beyoncé with a brand new tool for YouTube Shorts creators.

YouTube have added a new feature that lets you use the content from the world’s top artists. Creators can now add and remix music videos into their YouTube Shorts. Users can take the music and snippets of the video for use in their content.

The remixing tool allows creators to make a short from a music video’s page, using the Remix button. Creators can make a Short that goes alongside the music video, use the video as a background, and – of course – use the music from the video. The feature is available on music videos from top artists, including millions of videos from Universal Music Group (UMG) artists like Beyoncé.

YouTube said in their announcement: “It’s not enough just to watch the video – you want to join in on the building hype around the songs and be part of these music movements. And with remixing on YouTube Shorts, now you can, right from the start.”

How to Start Remixing:

  1. Find a music video you love.
  2. Tap the “Remix” button.
  3. Choose your remix style (collab, green screen, audio, or clip).
  4. Unleash your creativity!

What do YouTube Shorts’ Remix styles mean?

  • Sound: Take just the sound from the video and use it in your Short, making a perfect soundtrack for your upcoming trip to Nashville that happens to be this weekend.
  • Collab: Create a Short right alongside the video, so you and your friends can do the choreography side-by-side with the artist.
  • Green Screen: Use the video as the background to your Short, so you can film your realtime reaction to your very first listen.
  • Cut: Can’t get over a specific scene from a music video? Cut that 5 second clip and add it to your Short so you can relive it as often as you like.

Once you create a Short from a music video, viewers will easily be able to tap through to see more content using the same video and song. This will help create amazing content and also boost artists visibility.

YouTube will consider this a win for their short, vertical format. The biggest competitor in the format is TikTok, who have just lost their deal with UMG. Their disagreement has seen UMG’s catalogue taken down from TikTok, meaning creators can no longer use UMG songs in their videos.

We’ve discussed how this may actually be a good thing for independent artists. Independent artists are able to upload music to TikTok for free through RouteNote. This allows artists to be used in videos and discovered when videos get popular or become trends. With less competition from major label artists, there is a huge gap for independent artists to be able to fill with their music. Particularly as 85% of TikTok videos now include music, more than ever before.

Whilst TikTok may be the favourite for short-form fun, YouTube’s new options for creators to use music that isn’t available on TikTok will certainly draw some attention.


Feature your music in BOTH TikTok and YouTube Shorts’ libraries to feature in the hottest video trends and viral content. Upload unlimited releases for free and earn revenue every time your songs are used at www.routenote.com.