What Twitter Is Currently Doing — And Not Doing — With Video

Sometime in the first half of 2015, Twitter will give users the ability to upload native video to the platform.

Just not yet. And the company is still keeping its video plans under wraps.

There’s some confusion about that fact after reports late last week indicated that details about Twitter’s video plans had been leaked on a Twitter FAQ page. It turns out, however, that the FAQ was related to Twitter’s current video offerings, which give a select group of advertisers using the Amplify program, publishing partners and verified users access to upload videos directly to the site.

Such features have been available since last March. Twitter ramped up the program in August and gave more partners access to video.twitter.com. If you go to that site, you can request access. And you can see how native video currently looks on Twitter; just search for amp.twimg. Here’s a recent example from CNBC:

This county has some of the most gorgeous landscapes, but could it also power all of Europe? http://t.co/a9YvjvwqeE https://t.co/JvzAFRm1gz

— CNBC (@CNBC) January 5, 2015

It’s likely that the consumer facing video uploader and player will build upon Twitter’s current system but Twitter isn’t releasing details. It also isn’t sharing when it will roll out. A company spokesperson told Marketing Land that video.twitter.com has nothing to do with the “upcoming consumer video launch.”

Twitter signaled in November that native video was coming in the first half of 2015 at its Analysts Day and in a blog post by vice president of product Kevin Weil:

“But aside from just watching video more easily on Twitter, you should be able to record, edit and share your own videos natively on Twitter too. Alongside short looping Vine videos, we think you’ll have fun sharing what’s happening in your world through native video. You can expect to see this in the first half of next year.”