Substack Unveils Video Feed as TikTok Faces Ban in the U.S.
San Francisco, Tuesday, 1 April 2025.
Substack launches a TikTok-like video feed amid potential TikTok ban, targeting a shift in content consumption patterns and seeking to capture TikTok’s audience and creators.
Strategic Platform Evolution
Substack announced its new scrollable video feed feature on March 30, 2025, marking a significant expansion of its multimedia capabilities [1]. The platform, which currently serves approximately 17,000 creators and 20 million monthly active subscribers [6], is positioning itself to capture the potential exodus of content creators from TikTok. The adoption of multimedia tools among Substack’s top-earning writers has seen remarkable growth, increasing from 50% in April 2024 to 82% in February 2025 [1][3].
TikTok’s Uncertain Future
The timing of Substack’s launch is particularly strategic, as TikTok faces a critical deadline of April 5, 2025, to complete a sale of its U.S. operations [2]. With approximately 170 million U.S. users, including 1.3 million content creators at stake [6], potential buyers including Oracle Corp. and Microsoft Corp. have emerged [6]. Former President Donald Trump has indicated flexibility in negotiations, suggesting potential tariff reductions to facilitate a deal [6].
Creator Incentives and Platform Features
Substack is actively courting TikTok creators with innovative initiatives, including CEO Chris Best’s announcement of a $25,000 ‘TikTok Liberation Prize’ for creators who successfully transition their audience to Substack [2]. The new video feature allows creators to upload content up to 10 minutes in length [3], with plans to introduce long-form content and podcast previews in the future [1]. This development builds upon Substack’s 2022 introduction of native video capabilities and its 2024 Media Tab launch [1].