How Long Can YouTube Shorts Be? A Guide

How Long Can YouTube Shorts Be? The Updated Limits

YouTube Shorts are brief, engaging videos that appear in a scrollable feed, similar to TikTok and Instagram Reels. Their maximum length affects how you plan, film, and edit social media posts.

Read on to learn how long YouTube Shorts can be and discover tips on creating exciting clips for the platform.

How Long Are YouTube Shorts? + Other Requirements

As of October 15, 2024, YouTube updated how long Shorts can be — the clips now have a maximum duration of three minutes. Users have been anticipating this change, as it allows for greater flexibility and creativity in their storytelling. It also lets you make YouTube Shorts as long as Instagram Reels (also three minutes), so reposting content across various social media channels is easier.

Along with this new duration, here are the requirements for creating YouTube Shorts:

• Format — Shorts need to be vertical videos, not landscape.
• Dimensions — Videos must have a 9:16 aspect ratio and 1920 x 1080px resolution.‍
• Audio — Music and sounds can be from YouTube’s catalog or your own library. However, you must have permission to use it; otherwise, you’ll face a copyright strike. To avoid this issue entirely, generate royalty-free music for any content style.

How Long Should YouTube Short Videos Really Be?

While three minutes is the maximum duration, it’s not necessarily the most effective length. Short-form content often performs well when kept below one minute, but the ideal time depends on your niche and posting style. Here are a few broad recommendations:

• 15–30 seconds — Ideal for dances, challenges, or rapid funny clips
• 1–2 minutes — Best for personal anecdotes, comedy sketches, or behind-the-scenes content
• Over two minutes — Excellent for how-to guides, in-depth stories, and recipes

In general, brief videos are easier to watch and digest, so people are likelier to get to the end, increasing your overall view count. These uploads are also more shareable — a quick clip isn’t a lengthy commitment, so viewers are eager to send them to friends. 

This interaction strongly affects YouTube’s algorithm, ranking your videos higher in search results and pushing them to the top of user feeds. Experiment with your short videos, monitor engagement, and discover what works best for your brand.

How To Make YouTube Shorts: 5 Ways

Whether you create clips from scratch or streamline the process with AI, it’s easy to start making YouTube videos and get your channel off the ground. Here are five great methods.

1. Produce AI Shorts With Captions

Instantly generate Shorts with AI avatars and custom voiceovers with the AI Video Maker. Here’s how to do it in a few easy steps:

• Open Captions — Log into your Captions account.
• Tap “AI Creators” — Choose “Prompt to video” to have AI generate a script, or select “Custom” to upload your own.
• Pick an avatar — Select an AI avatar from the library and choose a subtitle style.‍
• Create a video — Tap “Generate Video” to bring your video to life. Edit it with AI, then export the content to start sharing.
  

2. Repurpose Existing Content With Captions

Turn one long video into multiple YouTube Shorts with Captions’ creative studio. This tactic helps you automate content creation and get more out of your work. Here’s how to use the AI Shorts Generator:

• Open Captions — Log into your account. 
• Start creating — Select “AI Shorts.” Upload a file or paste a link to the YouTube video you’d like to turn into a Short.
• Generate and edit — Watch as Captions creates multiple clips from your videos. Review the Shorts, pick your favorites, and edit them how you like.‍
• Download and share — Tap the “Download” button to save the Shorts to your camera roll and start sharing them.
  

3. Create YouTube Shorts From Scratch

Here’s how to make and publish YouTube Shorts within the platform:

• Open the app — Tap the YouTube app on your device and make sure you’re signed in.
• Start creating — Select the “+” icon at the bottom of your screen, and then allow the app to access your microphone and camera.
• Record a clip — Press and release the record button every time you want to start and stop filming. You can also tap it quickly to record without holding.
• Edit and finalize — Make adjustments, such as adding effects and filters. Tap the checkmark, and include finishing touches, like voiceovers or on-screen text. Select “Next” when you’re done.
• Add details — Write a title, pick your privacy settings (public, private, or unlisted), and choose whether or not the content is intended for kids.‍
• Publish your Short — Tap “Upload Short” to post the clip to your channel.

4. Remix Clips From Existing Video Content

Remixing lets you respond to existing YouTube videos. Here’s how to Remix long-form and short-form videos:

• Find the right video — Open the YouTube app and navigate to the video or Short you want to remix. 
• Start sampling — Tap “Remix” below long-form videos or at the bottom of the screen on Shorts. Choose from the following options: “Use this sound,” “Collab,” “Green Screen,” or “Cut this video.”
• Choose the part you want — Drag the editing bar across the timeline to cut the section of video you want for your Short. Then tap “Next.” Now, film your clip, like an answer or reaction to the original footage.
• Edit and refine — Tap “Done” and edit your Short like usual, adding music, captions, and filters. Once you’re satisfied, hit “Next.”
• Share your Remix — Write a title and choose privacy settings, then tap “Upload” to post your video. The platform automatically adds a link to the original creator to give them credit.
  

5. Upload Premade Videos

Whether you filmed a clip on Instagram or created one in Captions, it’s simple to upload it to YouTube straight from your device. Here’s how to do it:

• Open YouTube — Open the YouTube app or website. You can also log into the YouTube Studio platform.
• Upload your content — Click or tap “Create,” then select “Upload Videos.” Choose your video file and double-check it fits the requirements, including length and aspect ratio. If it doesn’t, YouTube will ask you to adjust it.‍
• Edit and publish —Tap or click “Next” to make any final changes, such as adding filters or captions. Then, select “Upload.”

4 Tips for Successful YouTube Shorts

From consistent video uploads to relevant channel content, these four strategies help you enhance your YouTube Shorts and create a strong brand.

1. Use the Right Keywords

Craft thoughtful titles and descriptions for your Shorts, incorporating relevant words, phrases, and hashtags. The right keywords help the algorithm understand your video’s content and show it to interested viewers through search results or their main feed. 

For inspiration, type words related to your subject in the search bar and see what YouTube recommends. These are real phrases people type in, so they’re a great place to start. From there, try other keyword research methods — like reviewing competitors and using third-party tools — to narrow your search.

Quick note: You can only add a description to a YouTube Short after publication. To do so, navigate to the clip, tap the three dots in the corner, and choose “Edit.” Then, add a description and tap “Save.”

2. Post Consistently

Posting content regularly shows your audience you’re a reliable, active creator and keeps your videos top-of-mind. Uploading more videos also gives viewers more chances to like, comment, and share, all metrics that tell the algorithm whether your posts are worth recommending. 

Create a realistic schedule you know you can maintain, and factor in time for other tasks that help your channel grow, like responding to comments and monitoring metrics.

3. Create High-Quality Video Content

While consistency is important, never sacrifice quality for quantity. People are likelier to engage with well-edited YouTube videos and follow the creator. This engagement also boosts your content in search results, helping even more viewers find and watch it.

Captions is an excellent way to enhance your content in just a few clicks. With the AI YouTube Video Maker, you can upload your footage, choose an editing style, and let AI handle the rest. It automatically makes changes like adding seamless cuts and generating sound effects so you can get back to filming new content faster.

4. Make Attention-Grabbing Thumbnails

Thumbnails attract viewers into engaging with your Shorts, so make them eye-catching and enticing. If you’re using the app, create a thumbnail as you edit your footage — this feature lets you choose a relevant frame from your Short. 

You can also craft a custom thumbnail by logging into YouTube Studio. Navigate to the published Short, click “Edit,” then select “Upload thumbnail.” Choose an image from your files and hit “Save.”

Elevate Your YouTube Shorts With Captions

YouTube Shorts are the ideal way to excite audiences and find new followers. These clips are a fast way to share advice or make people laugh, and they’re easy to produce with Captions.

Captions is an all-in-one creative studio that helps you produce better videos without the effort. Enhance your Shorts with the Cartesia AI integration, and you’ll always have crisp, realistic narration, even without the vocal warmup or expensive microphone. If you have great content that needs a finishing touch, use Google’s Veo 2 to generate striking AI clips. This B-roll footage helps you seamlessly transition between scenes to make a professional final product.

Achieve consistently high-quality YouTube Shorts with Captions — no experience required.