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Heroes of Might and Magic 3YouTube Shorts
YouTube Shorts are vertical or square videos of up to three minutes, watched by swiping in the Shorts feed. Since Oct 15, 2024 any square or vertical upload of three minutes or less becomes a Short; before that the limit was 60 seconds.
A YouTube Short can be up to three minutes long, and any video with a square or vertical aspect ratio that is three minutes or shorter, uploaded after Oct 15, 2024, is treated as a Short (YouTube Help). Before that date the limit was 60 seconds, and older uploads between one and three minutes stay ordinary long-form videos. Shorts are watched in the Shorts feed, a full-screen stream that moves to the next video with a swipe up, and are made either with the camera in the YouTube app (Create > Short) or by uploading a vertical video in the app or YouTube Studio.
Quick facts
| Maximum length | 3 minutes, for uploads after Oct 15, 2024 (60 seconds before) |
| Shape | Square or vertical; 16:9 and wider stay long-form |
| Maximum resolution | 1080p |
| Title | Up to 100 characters |
| Music | Most Shorts Audio Library songs up to 90 seconds; some 60 or 30 |
| Upload from | The YouTube app or YouTube Studio |
| Earnings | Ad revenue sharing since Feb 1, 2023 |
Sources: three-minute Shorts and Create a Short, YouTube Help.
How long can YouTube Shorts be?
Three minutes. YouTube announced the change on Oct 3, 2024 (YouTube Official Blog) and it applies to videos uploaded after Oct 15, 2024 on standard channels; Official Artist Channels got it for uploads after Dec 8, 2025 (YouTube Help). The change was not retroactive: a square or vertical video of, say, two minutes uploaded in 2023 is still a long-form video.
In a 2025 Creator Insider video, YouTube's chief product officer Johanna Voolich said many Shorts over 60 seconds were coming in, used for deeper stories and longer tutorials, while other creators were making Shorts even shorter, and that YouTube was tuning recommendations for Shorts of every length.
Longer Shorts carry one risk shorter ones do not. A Short over one minute with an active copyright claim of any kind, including a Content ID claim, is blocked worldwide: it does not play, is not recommended and earns nothing, though the channel gets no penalty. Shorts of one minute or less are not blocked this way (YouTube Help).
How do I make a YouTube Short?
With the camera in the YouTube app:
- Open the YouTube app, sign in, tap Create (the plus) and choose Short.
- Set the length in the top right corner, then hold the capture button, or tap to start and tap again to stop. Record several segments if needed.
- Add music from the Shorts Audio Library, filters or effects. Undo removes the last segment.
- Tap Done, add text, sounds or voiceover, then Next.
- Write a title of up to 100 characters, choose the privacy setting and the audience (made for kids or not).
- Tap Upload Short, or Save draft.
Source: Create a Short, YouTube Help. The Shorts camera is not offered on tablets.
From a computer, upload the video in YouTube Studio like any other: if it is square or vertical and three minutes or less, YouTube makes it a Short. Custom thumbnails for Shorts can be set only in YouTube Studio on a computer (Custom Thumbnails). For Shorts made from other videos, see Shorts Remix.
Music in Shorts
Songs from the Shorts Audio Library can be used without a copyright claim. In a three-minute Short most songs can run up to 90 seconds, and some are limited to 60 or 30 seconds; the app shows how many seconds a chosen track will cover. Music also changes how a Short's ad revenue is split; see Shorts Monetization and Music on YouTube.
The Shorts feed
Shorts play full screen in the Shorts tab of the app and on youtube.com/shorts, and a shelf of Shorts appears on Home and in search. A swipe up moves to the next one. Any Short also opens on the normal watch page by changing "shorts" in its address to "watch", which brings back the seek bar and speed controls: see Watch a Short as a Normal Video. In the same Oct 3, 2024 post YouTube announced a "Show fewer Shorts" choice in the three-dot menu of the Shorts shelf on Home (YouTube Official Blog).
A short history
Shorts began as a beta in India in 2020 and came to the United States on Mar 18, 2021, then limited to 60 seconds (YouTube Official Blog). At first Shorts carried no ads; creators were paid from the Shorts Fund, a set of monthly bonuses, until ad revenue sharing replaced it on Feb 1, 2023 (see Shorts Monetization and Retired YouTube Features). Shorts views also count toward the YouTube Partner Program: 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days is one of the two routes to full membership as of Nov 6, 2026.
In 2025 YouTube changed how it counts Shorts views. A view used to need a few seconds of play; now a Short counts a view once it is seen at all, which creators had asked for to compare Shorts across platforms. The old measure lives on as engaged views, which still decide Partner Program eligibility, and YouTube Analytics shows both, Johanna Voolich explained in the same Creator Insider video.
What creators say
In an Oct 2024 video made before the change took effect, vidIQ passed on YouTube's warning of early problems, such as longer Shorts not showing as Shorts and muddled traffic sources, and called the new rule that blocks claimed Shorts over a minute "a bit of a weird one": creators were used to losing revenue to a claim, not having the video blocked outright. vidIQ's guess was that YouTube wanted to stop whole songs playing inside three-minute Shorts.
After a test of its own, vidIQ advised in a Dec 4, 2024 video that a Short could reasonably run 70, 80 or even 90 seconds, but that beyond 90 seconds a creator should ask whether it ought to be a long-form video instead. To keep a vertical video out of the Shorts feed, it suggested adding borders at the sides so the frame is wider than square. What the test found about earnings is on Shorts Monetization.
Frequently asked questions
How long can a YouTube Short be? A YouTube Short can be up to three minutes long, for videos uploaded after Oct 15, 2024. Before that the limit was 60 seconds, and older uploads keep the old rule.
What makes a video a YouTube Short? YouTube treats a video as a Short when it has a square or vertical aspect ratio and is three minutes or shorter. A #Shorts hashtag is not needed.
Can I upload YouTube Shorts from a computer? Yes. Upload a square or vertical video of up to three minutes in YouTube Studio and YouTube makes it a Short; custom Shorts thumbnails are set there too.
Why is my 2-minute vertical video not a YouTube Short? If it was uploaded before Oct 15, 2024, YouTube keeps it as a long-form video, because three-minute Shorts apply only to later uploads.
How long can music be in a YouTube Short? Most songs from the YouTube Shorts Audio Library can be used for up to 90 seconds in a three-minute Short; some tracks are limited to 60 or 30 seconds.
Do YouTube Shorts make money? Yes. Since Feb 1, 2023, members of the YouTube Partner Program who accept the Shorts Monetization Module share in the ad revenue from the Shorts feed.
Sources
- Upload YouTube Shorts up to three minutes, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- Create a YouTube Short, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- YouTube Partner Program overview and eligibility, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- Tall updates coming to Shorts, YouTube Official Blog, Oct 3, 2024
- Bringing YouTube Shorts to the U.S., YouTube Official Blog, Mar 18, 2021
- YouTube Update, Shorts are Now 3 Minutes Long, vidIQ, Oct 3, 2024 (video)
- The 3 Minute YouTube Shorts Monetization Update, vidIQ, Dec 4, 2024 (video)
- New Youtube Shorts Features, Explained!, Creator Insider, Apr 3, 2025 (video)
- How To Play A YouTube Shorts Video In The Normal Player, No Rest For The Wicked, Oct 29, 2023 (video)
Moments
YouTube Update - Shorts are Now 3 Minutes Long
vidIQ
New Youtube Shorts Features - Explained!
Creator Insider
How To Play A YouTube Shorts Video In The Normal YouTube Video Player | Step-By-Step PC Tutorial
No Rest For The Wicked
The 3 Minute YouTube Shorts Monetization Update You Need To Know
vidIQ
Related
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2-Step VerificationYouTube requires 2-Step Verification on the Google Account of every channel in the YouTube Partner Program (to use YouTube Studio since Nov 1, 2021) and of every channel applying for the verification badge; YouTube recommends a passkey as the second step because it resists phishing best.
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Hacked Channel RecoveryTo recover a hacked YouTube channel, first recover the Google Account that owns it (password reset and Google's account recovery), then undo the hacker's changes with YouTube Studio's cleanup tool, then secure the account with 2-Step Verification; YouTube's hacked channel assistant helps in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
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YouTube SupportOnly eligible creators, such as channels in the YouTube Partner Program, can chat with or email YouTube Creator Support, from the Chat button in YouTube Studio or the Help Center; everyone else gets the Help Center, the YouTube Help Community and @TeamYouTube on X.
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Copyright StrikesA YouTube copyright strike comes when a video is removed after a legal takedown request. It expires after 90 days once you complete Copyright School, and three active strikes put the channel up for termination.
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Counter NotificationsA YouTube counter notification is the legal request to restore a video removed for copyright by mistake or misidentification. The claimant gets 10 US business days to show they have sued; if not, YouTube puts the video back.
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Disputing Copyright ClaimsTo dispute a Content ID claim on YouTube, open YouTube Studio > Content, hover over Claims, click See details, then Take action > Dispute. Dispute within 5 days of the claim and the video's revenue is held for whoever wins.
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Fair Use on YouTubeFair use is a US legal defense judged on four factors: purpose, the nature of the work, how much is used and the effect on its market. YouTube says it cannot decide fair use; only courts can, and no disclaimer makes a video fair use.
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Channel PermissionsYouTube channel permissions let an owner give other Google Accounts the Manager, Editor, Editor (limited), Subtitle editor, Viewer or Viewer (limited) role in YouTube Studio under Settings > Permissions, without sharing a password. Transferring a channel to a new primary owner needs a Brand Account and a 7-day wait.
See also
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Content IDContent ID is YouTube's automatic copyright system, which scans every upload against reference files from rights holders and places a claim on a match that blocks, monetizes or tracks the video. A claim is not a strike, and only owners of exclusive rights to a large body of often-uploaded material qualify to use it.
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Custom ThumbnailsYouTube recommends custom thumbnails of 3840 x 2160 for videos (2160 x 3840 for Shorts), at least 640 pixels wide, in JPG or PNG, up to 50 MB on a computer or 2 MB on a phone. Uploading one needs a verified account; Shorts thumbnails are set only in YouTube Studio on a computer.
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Shorts RemixYouTube's Remix turns part of another video into your own Short, as Sound, Green Screen, Cut (1 to 5 seconds), Collab, a template or an AI remix. On a Short tap Remix; on a long video tap Share > Remix. Creators control it per video in YouTube Studio under "Shorts remixing".
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Shorts MonetizationYouTube has shared Shorts ad revenue with creators since Feb 1, 2023: ads between Shorts fill a monthly Creator Pool, shared by engaged views, and creators keep 45% of their part. From Feb 1, 2027 a channel needs 10 million qualified Shorts views in 90 days to earn it.
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Music on YouTubeThe music YouTube itself calls copyright-safe is in the Audio Library in YouTube Studio, free to use and monetize. Creator Music lets Partner Program creators share a video's revenue with a song's rights holders, and an artist's permission alone does not make a channel eligible to earn.
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Watch a Short as a Normal VideoTo watch a YouTube Short in the ordinary player, replace "shorts/" in its address with "watch?v=", so youtube.com/shorts/ID becomes youtube.com/watch?v=ID, with a seek bar, speed, quality and keyboard shortcuts.