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How long can YouTube Shorts and videos be?

Shorts run up to 3 minutes. Videos run up to 15 minutes until you verify your account, then up to 12 hours or 256 GB. Drag below to check your video's length.

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Checked on against 6 sources.

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0:45
Short
Fits
Video
Fits
Video (verified)
Fits
Live, archived
Fits
1s15s1m3m15m1h4h12h
AllowedLength most studies point to
The short answer

Shorts: up to 3 minutes. Videos: 15 minutes, or 12 hours verified.

Since October 15, 2024, a square or vertical video of up to 3 minutes counts as a Short. A Short over 1 minute with an active copyright claim of any type is blocked worldwide, and most songs from YouTube's library play for up to 90 seconds in a 3-minute Short.

Regular videos can run 15 minutes by default. Verify your account and the limit becomes 12 hours or 256 GB, whichever comes first. The same limits apply when a scheduler uploads through YouTube's API. Live streams under 12 hours are archived automatically.

Shorts
3 min
Square or vertical
Videos
15 min
Until you verify your account
Verified
12 hours
Or 256 GB, whichever is less
Every format

Every YouTube video length in one table. From YouTube's Help Center.

Maximum video lengths for YouTube Shorts, regular videos and live streams, with notes on verification, copyright claims and music, October 2026
FormatLongestShortestNotes
Short3 minutesNot publishedSquare or vertical; over 1 minute with a copyright claim, it is blocked
Video, unverified account15 minutesNot publishedThe default for every account
Video, verified account12 hoursNot publishedOr 256 GB, whichever is less
Music in a Short90 seconds for most songsNoneSome tracks are limited to 60 or 30 seconds
Live streamNo limit publishedNoneArchived automatically if under 12 hours
From YouTube's Help Center, read on October 17, 2026. Official Artist Channels got 3-minute Shorts for uploads after December 8, 2025.
App vs schedulers

Uploading in YouTube vs through a scheduler. Mostly the same limits.

YouTube video length and size limits in the YouTube app and Studio compared with uploads through the YouTube Data API used by scheduling tools
LimitYouTube app and StudioSchedulers (the API)
Longest video15 minutes, or 12 hours verifiedThe same: the limit belongs to the account
File size256 GB256 GB
ShortsSquare or vertical, up to 3 minutesThe same; there is no Shorts switch, YouTube sorts by shape and length
LiveGo live from the app or StudioNot a scheduled upload
OmniSocials publishes YouTube Shorts only. It checks the length first and stops a video over 3 minutes before it is scheduled.
The data

More views, less time per view. Metricool's 2026 study of 799,718 videos.

Change in YouTube views and engagement for long videos and Shorts from February 2025 to February 2026, from Metricool's 2026 YouTube study
MeasureLong videosShorts
Views, year over year+76%+127%
Engagement, year over year-45%Not reported
Time spent per videoNot reportedAbout a third of a year earlier
Metricool, 71,177 accounts, February 2025 vs February 2026; vendor data. 61% of the views it measured came from the Shorts feed. YouTube publishes no ideal length.
What changed

What changed for video length. Longer Shorts, bigger uploads.

  1. Dec 2025

    3-minute Shorts for artist channels

    Official Artist Channels can post Shorts up to 3 minutes for videos uploaded after December 8, 2025. Source

  2. Oct 2025

    Larger uploads in testing

    YouTube: "We've begun testing larger video uploads with select creators as well to enable even higher quality original uploads." Source

  3. Oct 2024

    Shorts up to 3 minutes

    Square and vertical videos up to 3 minutes became Shorts, up from 60 seconds. Shorts over 1 minute with a copyright claim are blocked. Source

Tips

Pick the right length. The limit is rarely the problem.

  1. Keep claimed music under 1 minute

    A Short over 1 minute with any copyright claim is blocked worldwide. Use your own audio for longer Shorts.

  2. Shoot Shorts vertical or square

    Shape decides as much as length. A 16:9 video under 3 minutes uploads as a regular video.

  3. Verify before a long upload

    Unverified accounts stop at 15 minutes. Verify by text message or voice call before you upload anything longer.

  4. Compress very large files

    Over 256 GB, YouTube suggests compressing the video, for example with the H.264 codec.

  5. Keep streams under 12 hours

    YouTube archives streams under 12 hours automatically. A longer one may not be captured at all.

  6. Hook viewers in the first seconds

    Metricool found people spend about a third as long on each Short as a year before. Get to the point fast.

Other platforms

The same guide for every network. Each one has its own rules.

Sources

How we built this guide. Checked on October 17, 2026.

The limits come from YouTube's Help Center and the YouTube Data API reference, read on October 17, 2026. YouTube publishes no ideal length and no minimum, so the page shows none; the data table uses Metricool's 2026 study and labels it as vendor data.

  1. YouTube Help: Upload YouTube ShortsRead Oct 20263 minutes, square or vertical, copyright and music rules.
  2. YouTube Help: Upload videos longer than 15 minutesRead Oct 202615 minutes by default; 256 GB or 12 hours at most.
  3. YouTube Help: Archive live streamsRead Oct 2026
  4. YouTube Data API: Videos: insertRead Oct 2026Files up to 256 GB.
  5. YouTube Official Blog: 5 new features to help creators shine on TV screensOct 29, 2025
  6. Metricool: Metricool's 2026 YouTube studyJul 2026799,718 videos from 71,177 accounts, February 2025 vs February 2026.
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