YouTube Shorts expands maximum length to 3 minutes

YouTube has announced a significant update to its short-form video platform, YouTube Shorts. Starting October 15, creators will be able to upload Shorts that are up to 3 minutes long, a substantial increase from the previous limit of 60 seconds.

This change aligns with TikTok, which expanded its video length limits to 3 minutes in 2021. YouTube's decision to follow suit reflects the growing popularity of longer short-form content and aims to provide creators with more flexibility to tell their stories.

Todd Sherman, director of product management for YouTube Shorts, emphasized the positive impact of this change, stating that it will make storytelling on Shorts more immersive. The increased length will allow creators to delve deeper into their topics and create more engaging content.

In addition to the longer video length, YouTube is also introducing several other enhancements to Shorts. The platform is working on improving recommendations for longer Shorts to ensure that creators' content reaches the right audience.

For users who prefer to see fewer Shorts, YouTube is introducing an option to "Show Fewer Shorts" in the Home feed settings. This allows users to customize their viewing experience and reduce the frequency of Shorts recommendations.

YouTube is also making improvements to the Shorts player to streamline its appearance and focus on the content itself. A new Shorts trends page on mobile will help users discover popular content in their country, and a feature is being developed to preview comments directly in the Shorts feed.

To further support creators, YouTube is introducing templates that allow them to easily create Shorts based on popular trends and sounds. This feature can be accessed by tapping "Remix" on a Short and selecting "Use this template."

In the coming months, YouTube Shorts users will also have the ability to access YouTube content directly from the Shorts camera, making it easier to remix clips from their favorite videos.

Furthermore, YouTube is integrating Google DeepMind's Veo generative AI video model into Shorts. This will enable creators to generate more extraordinary video backgrounds and standalone clips, adding a new level of creativity to their Shorts.

YouTube Shorts has gained significant popularity, with over 2 billion logged-in users watching Shorts every month. This growth highlights the platform's appeal and the increasing demand for short-form video content.