YouTube Shorts are watched by over 2 billion people each month, and they’re one of the best ways to get a lot of views and subscribers. You still need to focus on the quality of your Shorts and keep them on brand for your channel to keep subs engaged.
But with the news that Shorts are moving up to three minutes in length, many creators are left with one question: what is the best YouTube Shorts length?
Should your Shorts be:
- 15 seconds?
- 30 seconds?
- 60 seconds?
- Over 60 seconds?
We’re going to explore the best length to make YouTube Shorts right now, given the data we have at this very moment so that you can leverage Shorts to grow your channel.
What’s the Best YouTube Shorts Length?👍
You’ll find so many opinions on the best Shorts length for your videos, and some will say 15 – 60 seconds is best. However, that’s a wide range of time to spend on Shorts. Experiment with different lengths on your channel to find your audience’s sweet spot, but here’s what our analysis found:
- Monica Toy’s, “If you can’t imitate, just stay home!” has 1.8 billion views and is 29 seconds long.
- Justin Flom’s, “Real life transforming Cinderella dress” video has 1.7 billion views and is just 18 seconds long.
- Daniel LaBelle’s, “If Cleaning Was a Timed Sport, Part 2” Short has 1.6 billion views and is 36 seconds long.
- Joy_ Bamm’s, “Ladybug Squishy DIY with Nano Tape” has 1.6 billion views and is 24 seconds long.
- How Ridiculous’, “Power Tools Racing Is INTENSE!!” has 1.4 billion views and is 47 seconds long.
And with these Shorts, they total 154 seconds and average 30.8 seconds in length. If you stay within the 18 – 47 second range, your Shorts will have a lot of reach potential. We don’t know what the change to three minutes will mean for these averages, but it will be interesting to see in a few months when the data for the top Shorts over 60 seconds comes out.
We’ve also seen some sources saying to keep your Shorts between 40 and 50 seconds, but we can’t find the data to back these claims.
What do we recommend? Keep your Shorts the perfect length for the video that you’re filming and loosely adhere to our recommendations above.
What’s the Maximum Length of a YouTube Short?
You might be reading this article and saying, “You’re wrong and Shorts are 60 seconds max.” We have news for you: Google announced that Shorts can be up to three minutes long. But there are a few caveats to consider:
- Initially, not all 3-minute or less videos in your catalog will be classified as Shorts.
- It can take a few weeks before all systems are updated and your three-minute videos will show up as Shorts.
But does the length of your Shorts really matter all that much?
What Does Length Matter?
When creating content for YouTube Shorts, quality should be the top priority. But it’s important not to overlook length.
Ideally, you’ll create awesome content that’s just the right length for your audience’s preferences.
But why does length matter so much?
For starters, Shorts are short-form videos, which means users are expecting your content to be quick, to the point and super interesting.
But length is also important because:
1. Length Affects Your Engagement Rate 📈
Short videos tend to have higher engagement rates. People often watch them all the way through to the end, and they may be more inclined to leave a comment or like your video.
If you can find that “sweet spot” for length when creating your YouTube Shorts, your engagement rate will soar.
2. Shorter Videos are Easier to Consume 📹
Brief videos are easier for people to consume on their mobile devices when they’re out and about or when they have a few minutes of free time.
Creating videos that are just the right length will allow you to capitalize on this trend and, hopefully, get more views in the process.
3. Audiences Have Short Attention Spans 📢
Young adults have an average attention span of about 76 seconds. That’s just over the maximum length of YouTube Shorts.
If your goal is to maximize views and engagement, it makes sense to focus on creating content that’s shorter than 60 seconds.
4. Short-Form Video is Optimized for Social Media and Easy to Share 🔁
Short-form video, like YouTube Shorts, is inherently optimized for social media. They’re easy to share and consume on social platforms, which means they’re also perfect for going viral.
A short video that’s less than 60 seconds is more likely to get tons of views than one that’s 15+ minutes long.
Is 10 Seconds Too Short for YouTube Shorts?
If you want to start creating YouTube Shorts or improve your current Shorts content, you know that shorter content tends to perform better.
But how short is too short? Ten seconds.
Yes, 10 seconds is too short – five seconds too short, to be precise.
YouTube requires Shorts to be at least 15 seconds long.
How Can You Find the Best Length for Your YouTube Shorts?
There’s no magic number for the length of YouTube Shorts. Even if you follow expert advice on the best length, you may find that it doesn’t really work for your audience.
If you’re in the finance niche, your best-performing Shorts will probably be longer than someone in the entertainment niche. Why? Because your audience is looking for advice or information – and it takes time to deliver that info.
In the entertainment niche, the aim is to shock your audience or make them laugh in as short a time as possible. Audience attention spans are shorter and expectations are different.
So, how can you find the right length for your Shorts? Start with your analytics. Look at your past content. Which Shorts got the most views? How long were these videos, on average?
If you haven’t posted any Shorts yet, then start with the recommended lengths and experiment with shorter and longer videos to see which ones work best for your audience.
Final Thoughts
Finding the best YouTube Shorts length for your channel is a journey. Over time, your audience’s preferences and behaviors will change, so keep an eye on your analytics and adjust your lengths as these changes arise.
