Substack, originally known as a platform for newsletter writers, has been steadily expanding into the world of video over the past year. In its latest move, the company introduced a new set of tools to help creators grow and promote their live video content. These updates reflect Substack’s growing ambition to become a multimedia publishing platform, supporting everything from newsletters to livestreams.
The new tools allow creators to share short clips from their livestreams on Substack Notes, which is the platform’s version of a social feed. What makes this especially useful is the real-time feedback feature creators can immediately see how their clips are performing. This helps them decide which clips are worth posting on platforms like YouTube Shorts to attract more viewers. For those who connect their YouTube accounts, Substack will automatically upload the two best-performing clips to their Shorts channels, making it easier to reach a wider audience.
Another helpful feature is the use of AI to automatically generate highlight clips from longer videos. This saves creators the time and effort of editing manually. The new tools are currently available on the iOS app, with Android support expected next week. Substack also supports automated promotional content, so whenever a livestream is scheduled, it creates posts and materials that can be shared across social media platforms, including Notes and YouTube. This reduces the workload on creators while boosting visibility.
Substack has also added a simpler way to invite guests to livestreams by email or SMS. This means followers who don’t have a Substack account can still join easily, making the platform more accessible. These features aim to encourage community interaction and make livestreams more inclusive.
This update follows Substack’s earlier introduction of audio-only livestreams and a scrollable video feed. The company rolled out live video support to all publishers earlier this year, marking a shift towards more interactive and diverse content formats. Substack’s steady expansion into video shows its intent to compete with platforms like YouTube and Patreon by giving independent creators more tools to grow and engage their audiences.
