Many of our clients ask: how long should YouTube shorts be?

In this post we’ll try to find out what’s the best (optimal) length for a YouTube shorts video by analyzing the length of thousands of trending shorts.

Hi, I’m Mik from TunePocket. There are no generic “YouTube shorts tips” or “best practices” here. This post is based on the actual YouTube data collected over the course of several months.

Key takeaways

• We’ve analyzed 1000s (and counting) of trending YouTube shorts.
• 57% of the trending shorts videos are either under 20 seconds or close to the full 60-second limit (read the post to see the complete stats). UPDATE: It is now possible to upload 3 minute long shorts. We’ll adjust the findings as news data comes in.
• Don’t rely on the length of your video alone, there are many other success factors when it comes to shorts.

Do creators need to upload Shorts?

In short, yes. Whether you post on YouTube purely for fun, to monetize, or to promote your business, you should not ignore the shorts.

For vloggers shorts offer a quick and easy way to share creative, spontaneous content and grow their audience (and the revenue if you monetize your channel).

For business users, Shorts can boost brand visibility, reach new audiences, and increase engagement through trending, easily consumable videos, potentially driving more traffic to longer videos or products.

How to determine a successful shorts video?

A successful YouTube Shorts video can be determined by factors such as high viewer engagement (likes, comments, shares), a strong retention rate (viewers watching the video through to the end), and the video’s ability to attract a significant number of views, especially within a short period after being posted.

For this specific analysis we used this very simply criteria:

If your video appears in YouTube’s trending videos list, this reflects widespread engagement, high viewership, and YouTube’s algorithm recognizing your content as popular and relevant at that time.

how long should YouTube shorts be based on the analysis of the trending videos

Finally, let’s look at the best length for YouTube shorts.

We’ve ran the numbers on 1,000+ of trending shorts (collected over time, so it’s not just one day stats) and here’s what we found:

Based on our analysis of YouTube data, about 30% of trending shorts fell between 50 and 60 seconds.

UPDATE: It is now possible to upload shorts up to 3 minute long. We’ll adjust the findings as we collect more data.

Additionally, 27% of videos were between 10-20 seconds

A significant portion (roughly 57%) of the shorts were either under 20 seconds or close to the full 60-second limit.

Here’s a chart with complete results:

We’ll keep updating the findings as more data come in, so make sure to bookmark this page!

don’t rely on the video length alone!

Now when you know the length of the most popular shorts, a word of caution.

Don’t rely on the duration alone!

There are many factors that may contribute to YouTube Shorts going viral:

Engaging and trending Content

Shorts that capture attention within the first few seconds and maintain viewer interest tend to perform well.

Tapping into trending topics, viral challenges, or popular music boosts visibility as the algorithm promotes such content.

Strong Visual and Hook

Eye-catching visuals and a compelling opening hook draw viewers in quickly.

Hashtags and video SEO

Using trending and relevant hashtags increases discoverability by aligning with user searches and recommendations.

Check out our free YouTube video SEO tools.

Emotional or Relatable Content

Content that evokes strong emotions or resonates with viewers’ experiences is more likely to be shared.

Engaging soundtrack (when applicable)

Music or sound effects that are trending, catchy, or emotionally resonant can capture viewers’ attention, make the video more memorable, and encourage sharing.

Questions?

We hope you find this guide helpful.

Have another burning question about YouTube shorts? Post it in the comments and we’ll do the research.

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