Substack Enhances Notes Feature with Twitter-Inspired Functionalities

Substack Enhances Notes Feature with Video Posting and Embedding Capabilities

Bringing Notes Closer to X’s Functionality

Substack, the popular online publishing platform, has announced new features for its Notes feature, which now more closely resembles the functionality of X (formerly known as Twitter). As of Tuesday, users can post videos directly to Notes within the Substack app and on the web. Additionally, Notes can now be embedded on external webpages, allowing content to reach a wider audience beyond the Substack platform.

The Evolution of Notes

Introduced in April 2023, during a period when many users were seeking alternatives to Twitter following Elon Musk’s acquisition of the social network, Notes has become a popular feature on Substack. The short-form content, displayed in a dedicated feed similar to Twitter’s, enables users to share posts, quotes, comments, images, links, and ideas in a concise format.

Embracing Video Content

Recognizing the growing trend of writers and creators using video tools and launching new shows on the platform, Substack has made it possible for users to post videos directly to Notes. This can be done by recording a video or selecting one from their device’s camera roll. With competitors like X and Meta’s Threads already supporting video content, this addition to Notes ensures that Substack remains competitive in the social media landscape.

Expanding Reach through Embedding

The introduction of embedding capabilities for Notes allows writers’ content to be shared widely across the web. By clicking on the three-dot menu in the top-right corner of a Note and selecting the “embed note” option, users can obtain the embed code for their content. This code can then be used to embed the Note into various online platforms, such as news articles, in a manner similar to how X posts are often shared.

The Impact of Notes on Substack’s Ecosystem

Substack has reported that Notes has generated more than 3,000 paid subscriptions and 230,000 free subscriptions for writers and creators on the platform in the past 30 days. The company emphasizes the value of Notes for users who may not have large pre-existing audiences, as it provides an opportunity to grow their following and engage with a wider community.

Substack’s Ongoing Competition with X

As Substack continues to enhance its Twitter-like features, X finds itself grappling with challenges. Recently, X announced plans to charge new users a small fee before allowing them to post on the social network, in an effort to combat the platform’s bot problem. Meanwhile, Substack remains focused on providing a robust alternative for creators and writers seeking to build and engage with their audiences.