When it comes to copying TikTok, Substack isn’t slowing down anytime soon. The platform announced on Monday that it was redesigning its Media Tab by rolling out a scrollable video feed on the app — which, if we’re being honest, sounds awfully familiar.
Since TikTok captured the imagination of Americans, a long line of competing platforms have introduced their own scrollable feeds. This includes Instagram, X, YouTube, Twitch, and even LinkedIn.
It’s also worth noting that Substack has a track record of copying TikTok in order to entice its creators. Back in February, Substack announced that creators would be able to monetize their videos on the platform and publish them straight to the app.
In January, it rolled out live streaming and the $20 million Creator Accelerator Fund. It has had video capabilities since 2022, with the Media Tab first being introduced in 2024.
With all these changes, we might have a fairly formidable TikTok clone. And according to Substack, all these changes are paying off.
Per an email to Passionfruit, Substack revealed that 82% of its most successful creators are taking a multimedia approach. Comparatively, in April 2024, the number of Substack creators using its multimedia tools was just over 50%.
Substack added in the email that it hopes this update will capitalize on all of this and “supercharge that momentum.”
Ultimately, the timing of this latest update couldn’t be more convenient. More and more users are looking for video content on their social media sites. But given Substack is known primarily as a newsletter platform, will exclusively video and/or live stream creators make the jump?
