Why written creators are careful before the video surgery of substance

However, this is of a low basis. During this period, video oposts made only 3 percent of all contributions to the substance, in accordance with the analysis of the underlysis. Of the approximately 2.8 million post creators published on Suback between February 2024 and February 2025, almost 91,000 embedded videos contained.

“Here you traditionally go into this situation in which you have a large company – or a somewhat large company, in the case of the substance – and you make a strategic decision to prioritize a feature,” said Timofey Purder, CEO from subalytics. “But the question is, someone actually asked the user base:” Is that what you want? “

The use of videos by the substance manufacturers is still growing. In April 2024, “more than half” published the 250 with the highest merits of the platform for audio and video oposts, with this number by February 2025, according to a substance spokesman. However, with increasing video most activity of Substack, the platform is at risk of increasing against a potential ceiling. At the moment there is a contingent of substance creators that probably never includes videos in his posts.

Four sub -stack creators, including the writer and literary agent Kate McKean, whose newsletter has over 30,000 subscribers, said Digiday that they could not imagine any potential new tools or functions that would convince you to improve your video option on the platform.

“I just don't think of this platform for video.” I have probably reduced the video offer from substance because some other platforms “Pivot to Video” didn't work.

The replacement creator Jeannine Ouellette, whose newsletter discusses the craft of writing, has discussed writing in the dark, said over 17,000 followers said that some writers on the literary side of the platform would consider moving their communities elsewhere if the video increases further on the subpack. At the moment, it is possible for creators to be able to access a complete list of their subscribers in the Substack Back End, which means that every creator who wanted to switch to another platform can easily export their list of subscribers via the publisher dashboard from Substack.

“It feels as if this transition to Instagram happened when he went to roll from photos, and suddenly it's just a completely different platform,” she said. “And I think that writers like me who have invested in the structure of our communities on this platform for the written word, like” Huh – is what I will really have a place here? “

When a company spokesman was asked about the concerns of the Video Push von Substack, he said that the introduction of videos to Substack should help to establish authors deeper connections to their audience instead of representing a fundamental transformation of the platform. The spokesman cited substances such as the newsletter from Ankler and Patti Smith as examples of creators who have successfully integrated video into their substance posts.

“These creators show that video and audio do not have to replace the written word.” Substack gives creators and publisher the freedom to tell their stories as it is best for them, and we are pleased that more creators experiment with formats that improve their storytelling. “

At the moment, many of the substance manufacturers who use videos are users with existing audience on the platform that have decided to try video as soon as Substack has introduced the format and not dedicated video manufacturers who have deliberately transferred to Substack. The author Courtney Maum, whose substance has over 38,000 supporters, said that she was initially skeptical about video on the platform, but found the video tools from Substack that are easy to use and now contained videos in about 25 percent of her posts.

“I think I will bring this into the 30 percent range this year, but only when video is clearer and more fun for my subscribers,” she said. “I won't use it just because Substack wants it from me.”

Substack is actively working on recruiting video data from platforms such as YouTube and Tiktok. In January, the company announced the Tikok Liberation Prize, the Tikkeer Aaron Parnas, whose substance has over 365,000 followers, awarded 25,000 US dollars to publish a video in which Tikok users are encouraged to join a substance.

“We have a committed team that focuses on recruiting and supporting Creators for Substack and helps them to offer the best of what the platform has to offer, including live videos,” said substand director of the partnerships Hanne Winarsky.

Parnas, who said he was to Substack 18 months ago, but said that he only had seriously invested time in the platform after winning the price at the beginning of this year, gave a gross estimate that about 70 percent of his overall post on Substack embedded videos. His substance videos are originally exceeded on the Platform-Obohn Parases on YouTube, in order to grow his followers in both places to grow and mostly long-forming and rather the short form videos that Parahn drove to over 3.3 million on Tikkok.

“I don't think we should be gatekeeping platforms based on the type of content,” said Parnas. “To be honest, I think that it requires that people spread content as they want to spread content.