Substack, the renowned newsletter platform, has unveiled a new feature enabling writers to share videos with their subscribers via Chat, the direct messaging tool, as announced on Wednesday. This enhancement follows the introduction of video to Notes, a Twitter-esque feature for short-form content, just two months ago.
By integrating video into its Chat functionality, Substack continues to position itself as a formidable contender against social media giants. This new feature provides newsletter creators with a unique avenue to engage intimately with their audience, share exclusive updates, or offer sneak peeks to their dedicated followers.
Earlier this year, Substack launched Chats, allowing users to interact more informally with their subscribers. Last month, the platform introduced the option to monetize chats by enabling paywalls for entire conversations or specific threads for paid members.
To utilize video sharing within Substack Chat, writers can initiate a new conversation and click the plus icon located at the bottom left corner. Upon selecting “Video,” they can either upload content from their gallery or record directly using their phone’s camera. It’s important to note that the videos are currently limited to a five-minute duration.
Substack offers additional features such as adding captions, placing the video behind a paywall, and notifying subscribers via email. Subscribers will also receive push notifications on their mobile devices. This feature broadens Substack’s appeal, attracting diverse content creators beyond its traditional base of writers and publishers.
Moreover, writers who permit subscribers to initiate chat threads can now also share their own videos. Substack has announced plans to soon enable video replies from subscribers, enhancing the platform’s interactive capabilities.
