Substack Updates App to Mirror TikTok More Closely

Substack recently updated its app to more closely resemble TikTok, incorporating new features to enhance user experience and compete with major social media platforms.

Substack Diversifies with Vertical Videos

Substack, originally a platform for written content, is expanding by adding a vertical video feed to its app. This move, which revamps the existing Media tab since 2024, positions Substack to compete with Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube in the realm of short video content.

A Video Feed to Broaden Offerings

The new feed features scrollable videos from creators you follow and others suggested by an algorithm. It supports various short content formats, including videos posted via Substack Notes, “the company’s Twitter-like microblogging feature”, snippets from longer videos, and eventually, podcast previews.

Multimedia: A Boon for Creators

According to Substack, incorporating multimedia features like podcasts and videos has significantly benefited creators. The company states that “82% of Substack’s highest-earning writers use multimedia, up from just over 50% in April last year”. Adding short video support is an effort to push these advantages further.

Towards a Diversified Platform

Since introducing native video support in 2022, Substack has continued to expand its features, recently enabling creators to host live video streams. The company is clearly positioning Substack as more than just a newsletter platform, specifically targeting TikTok creators since 2024. The app’s redesign offers subscribers a fresh way to discover and follow creators, making the platform more appealing to a new type of creator.