Angela Lang/CNET
Snap on Monday launched a new in-app feature called Spotlight to highlight videos on its platform. Spotlight positions Snapchat to compete with other social video apps and features like TikTok and Instagram Reels.
“We built Spotlight to be a place where anyone’s content can take center stage — without needing a public account, or an influencer following,” wrote Snap in a blog post on Monday. “It’s a fair and fun place for Snapchatters to share their best Snaps and see perspectives from across the Snapchat community.”
Snaps submitted to Spotlight must be vertical videos that are up to 60 seconds long — no still-image photos or horizontal videos allowed — and adhere to the messaging app’s Community Guidelines. Snap said Spotlight is meant to be a fun, positive experience and isn’t a place for news or “overtly political” content.
To kick off the new feature, Snap says it’ll distribute $1 million every day to creators that submit videos to Spotlight. The reward program will run through at least the end of 2020, said Snap.
Spotlight is available in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and France, with more countries “coming soon,” said Snap.
More to come.
