# How long can YouTube Shorts and videos be?

> Shorts run up to 3 minutes, square or vertical. Videos run 15 minutes by default and up to 12 hours once your account is verified.

Page: https://omnisocials.com/youtube-video-lengths
Checked: October 17, 2026

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.

## 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)

## Drag to your video's length and see where it fits

| Format | Shortest | Longest | Length most studies point to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short | 0:01 | 3:00 |  | Square or vertical, up to 3 minutes. Over 1 minute with a copyright claim, it is blocked. |
| Video | 0:01 | 15:00 |  | Up to 15 minutes, the default for every account. |
| Video (verified) | 0:01 | 12:00:00 |  | Up to 12 hours or 256 GB, whichever is less. Verify by text message or voice call. |
| Live, archived | 0:01 | 12:00:00 |  | Streams under 12 hours are archived automatically. Longer ones may not be saved. |

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

| Format | Longest | Shortest | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short | 3 minutes | Not published | Square or vertical; over 1 minute with a copyright claim, it is blocked |
| Video, unverified account | 15 minutes | Not published | The default for every account |
| Video, verified account | 12 hours | Not published | Or 256 GB, whichever is less |
| Music in a Short | 90 seconds for most songs | None | Some tracks are limited to 60 or 30 seconds |
| Live stream | No limit published | None | Archived 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.

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

| Limit | YouTube app and Studio | Schedulers (the API) |
|---|---|---|
| Longest video | 15 minutes, or 12 hours verified | The same: the limit belongs to the account |
| File size | 256 GB | 256 GB |
| Shorts | Square or vertical, up to 3 minutes | The same; there is no Shorts switch, YouTube sorts by shape and length |
| Live | Go live from the app or Studio | Not a scheduled upload |

OmniSocials publishes YouTube Shorts only. It checks the length first and stops a video over 3 minutes before it is scheduled.

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

| Measure | Long videos | Shorts |
|---|---|---|
| Views, year over year | +76% | +127% |
| Engagement, year over year | -45% | Not reported |
| Time spent per video | Not reported | About 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 for video length. Longer Shorts, bigger uploads.

- **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. (https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/15424877)
- **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." (https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/new-features-to-help-creators/)
- **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. (https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/15424877)

## 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.

## Schedule it with OmniSocials

Schedule Shorts up to 3 minutes. OmniSocials checks the length before it posts. OmniSocials schedules posts to YouTube and 11 more networks from one calendar, and AI agents (Claude, ChatGPT and others) can plan and schedule through its MCP server. $10 per seat a month billed yearly, $12 monthly; 14-day free trial, a card is needed to start it. https://omnisocials.com/pricing

## Sources and method

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.

- YouTube Help, [Upload YouTube Shorts](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/15424877), Read Oct 2026. 3 minutes, square or vertical, copyright and music rules.
- YouTube Help, [Upload videos longer than 15 minutes](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/71673), Read Oct 2026. 15 minutes by default; 256 GB or 12 hours at most.
- YouTube Help, [Archive live streams](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6247592), Read Oct 2026
- YouTube Data API, [Videos: insert](https://developers.google.com/youtube/v3/docs/videos/insert), Read Oct 2026. Files up to 256 GB.
- YouTube Official Blog, [5 new features to help creators shine on TV screens](https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/new-features-to-help-creators/), Oct 29, 2025
- Metricool, [Metricool's 2026 YouTube study](https://metricool.com/press-release-youtube-study-2026/), Jul 2026. 799,718 videos from 71,177 accounts, February 2025 vs February 2026.

## Related guides

- [Best time to post on YouTube](https://omnisocials.com/best-time-to-post-on-youtube)
- [How often to post on YouTube](https://omnisocials.com/how-often-to-post-on-youtube)
- [YouTube image sizes](https://omnisocials.com/youtube-image-sizes)
- [YouTube character limits](https://omnisocials.com/youtube-character-limits)
- [YouTube hashtag limits](https://omnisocials.com/youtube-hashtag-limits)
- [Schedule YouTube posts](https://omnisocials.com/youtube)
- [Connect YouTube](https://omnisocials.com/help-center/integrations/youtube)
- [Create a post](https://omnisocials.com/help-center/creating-content/create-post)
- [MCP server](https://omnisocials.com/mcp)
- [REST API](https://omnisocials.com/api)
- [API reference](https://docs.omnisocials.com)

## FAQ

### How long can YouTube Shorts be?

Up to 3 minutes, for square or vertical videos uploaded after October 15, 2024. Before that the limit was 60 seconds.

### Is there a time limit on YouTube videos?

Yes. Every account can upload videos up to 15 minutes. Verified accounts can upload up to 12 hours or 256 GB, whichever is less.

### How do I upload videos longer than 15 minutes?

Verify your account. In the YouTube app, start an upload of a video over 15 minutes and YouTube asks you to verify by text message or voice call. After that the limit is 12 hours.

### How do I post a 3 minute YouTube Short?

Upload a square or vertical video of up to 3 minutes from the YouTube app or YouTube Studio. If it is over 1 minute, make sure it has no copyright claim, or it will be blocked.

### Why is my Short uploading as a regular video?

It is probably too wide or too long. Shorts must be square or vertical and up to 3 minutes; a 16:9 video, or one over 3 minutes, uploads as a regular video.

### Can a Short use music for the full 3 minutes?

Usually not. Most songs from YouTube's library play for up to 90 seconds in a 3-minute Short, and some only 60 or 30. A Short over 1 minute with a copyright claim is blocked.

### How long can a YouTube live stream be?

YouTube publishes no maximum. Streams under 12 hours are archived automatically; a longer stream may not be captured at all.

### What is the best length for a YouTube video?

YouTube gives no number. Metricool's 2026 study found views rising while time per view fell, so the length that holds your viewers matters more than a target.

### Can OmniSocials schedule long YouTube videos?

No. OmniSocials publishes YouTube Shorts of up to 3 minutes and stops a longer video before it is scheduled. Long videos and live streams are not supported.