With YouTube’s multi-video feature, commonly referred to as “multiview,” users can see multiple videos playing at once on a single webpage. However, because of its low usage and technical limitations, YouTube is thinking about removing this feature. The feature was reportedly only utilized by a small portion of creators and viewers, so the platform decided to prioritize developing it lower on its list of priorities. YouTube’s resources were also less effectively used because the feature required a large amount of technical resources to maintain and update. YouTube will be able to devote more of its resources to features and enhancements that will benefit a wider audience by dropping multiview.
With YouTube’s “multi-view” feature, content producers can post a single video from several viewpoints or angles for a more engaging watch. Nevertheless, this feature has caused annoyance for some creators, and requests to disable or remove it are frequently seen. Here are some reasons why:
A disjointed viewing experience may result from viewers being unsure of which of the multiple views is the “main” or “official” view. This confusion can also arise when the views have different audio tracks, music, or editing styles.
Some creators still prefer a single, cohesive view, despite YouTube’s attempts to address these issues with features like “primary views” and enhanced syncing options. In the end, a creator’s objectives, target audience, and content strategy will determine whether or not to use multi-view.