YouTube to roll out short-form video service in U.S. to take on TikTok

FILE PHOTO: YouTube logo at the YouTube Space LA in Playa Del Rey, Los Angeles, California, United States October 21, 2015. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo

(Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's YouTube is rolling out a short-form video-streaming service on its platform in the United States as it looks to better compete with rival TikTok in the hugely popular category.

The service, Shorts, let users record mobile friendly vertical videos that can be spiced up with special effects and soundtracks pulled from a music library.