YouTube announced that as of October 15, 2024, the duration of the YouTube Shorts videos will be extended to 3 minutes, this after at the beginning of their journey there was a limit of up to 60 seconds per video. This change concerns all videos in a square or vertical format (taller in aspect ratio) and will not apply to videos uploaded before this date. The change came following repeated requests from the creators on the platform, who asked to extend the time to create richer and more diverse content.
Extending the length of videos is part of YouTube’s efforts to compete with other platforms such as TikTok, which also allows the posting of short videos. TikTok, which started with extremely short videos of up to 15 seconds, has gradually extended the time over the years, and now also allows videos of up to 10 minutes. YouTube’s move indicates its attempt to stay relevant and face the increasing competition from TikTok, which has captured the young audience.
Extending the duration of videos will allow creators to provide more content, deeper storytelling, and achieve higher engagement from viewers. YouTube has also promised to improve its recommendation mechanisms so that users get more accurate and targeted suggestions, even for longer videos in Shorts.
In the meantime, YouTube announced more innovations in the Shorts platform, including updates to the interface and the video player. The action buttons will be simplified, and the comments will be displayed in a more accessible way within the video player. These design changes are intended to make it easier to use and make the experience more intuitive.
One of the interesting functions that will be launched soon is the ability to use content from any YouTube videos directly from the Shorts camera, which will allow creators to use clips from existing videos and music to create integrated and original content. This is another step to increase creativity and content on the platform, with an emphasis on adapting popular content to the unique needs of each creator.
The innovations also include templates that can be used to create videos based on hot trends or popular music. These templates will allow creators to adapt their content quickly and respond to current events or trends more effectively.