YouTube has announced that all users can now create 3-minute long Shorts, which is the final stage of the change that it announced in October last year to extend the length of Shorts clips.
As per YouTube’s original announcement, in order to maximize the opportunities of Shorts, and get more content into its increasingly popular Shorts feed, YouTube has extended the length of Shorts, meaning that all videos up to three minutes in length now qualify to be shown within the Shorts feed.
That initial announcement sparked some confusion, as it didn’t apply to older short clips, and would only be actioned on any future uploads under 3 minutes.
YouTube also rolled out the change in stages, so creators were left unclear for some time as to what exactly was happening, and when, with this update.
But after several months of clarifying updates, including a detailed rollout schedule for each element, YouTube has now completed the shift, which means that all video uploads of 3 minutes or less will now register as Shorts in the app.
???? Creators! We’ve entered Phase 4! You can now use the Shorts creation tools to make up to 3-minute Shorts!
???? Launch the Shorts camera from the main YouTube app
⏱️ Tap the timer top right so it switches to 3m, and
✨ Get with the contenting! https://t.co/1LoxRWxpIH
— YouTube Liaison (@YouTubeLiaison) January 9, 2025
So now, if you upload clips that are under 3 minutes long, they’ll appear in the Shorts shelf in your Subscription feed and on your Channel page. They’ll also be listed in the Shorts section in YouTube Studio, so even if you haven’t intentionally created a Short, you’ll now also be a Shorts creator.
And importantly, they’ll also qualify to be recommended in the Shorts feed, which could help to boost viewership.
YouTube’s keen to get more Shorts content into the app, given the rising adoption of the format, and the broader popularity of short-form clips. Early last year, YouTube reported that Shorts are now driving 70 billion daily views, and with that engagement continuing to rise, YouTube logically wants to feed into that shift, and drive more usage.
Which is why longer Shorts makes sense, while it will also give Shorts creators more capacity to tell a story with their clips.
So again, any clip you upload to YouTube that’s under 3 minutes in length will now be a Short, whether that was your intention or not.
More info here.