Platform specs
YouTube Shorts length: the 3-minute maximum and the minimum
By the KeyMo team · Updated
A YouTube Short can be up to 3 minutes long. YouTube Help says square or vertical videos of up to three minutes uploaded on or after 15 October 2024 are categorised as Shorts on standard channels. The help pages we read give no minimum length for a Short.
The limits YouTube states, as of 11 October 2026
These numbers were read from YouTube Help on 11 October 2026.
| Item | What YouTube says | Help article |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum length | Up to 3 minutes, with a square or vertical aspect ratio | Upload YouTube Shorts |
| Camera | Record one or more clips that add up to three minutes | Create YouTube Shorts |
| When it applied | Videos uploaded on or after 15 October 2024 on standard channels | Understand three-minute YouTube Shorts |
| Official Artist Channels | Same rule from 8 December 2025 | Understand three-minute YouTube Shorts |
| Older uploads | Videos uploaded before the date stay long-form | Understand three-minute YouTube Shorts |
| Edit into a Short | Pick up to 60 seconds of one of your public long videos | Create YouTube Shorts from your videos |
Is there a minimum length?
The help pages we read do not set a minimum length for a Short, so we will not give you one. The only minimum we found belongs to a tool: Edit with AI accepts at least 5 seconds of total assets, and it is not available in every region. That is a limit of that feature, not a rule for all Shorts.
How to tell a current guide from an old one
YouTube's own three-minute article carries the 15 October 2024 cut-off. A guide written before that date cannot describe the three-minute rule, so check its date and compare it with the YouTube Help pages listed below.
Choosing a KeyMo clip length
All four KeyMo length choices sit well inside the 3-minute cap. The longest is 90 seconds, which is half of it.
| KeyMo setting | Clip length | Good fit when |
|---|---|---|
| Auto | 15-90 seconds | You want KeyMo to cut each idea where it ends |
| Short | 20-40 seconds | You want a fast cut with one point |
| Medium | 40-60 seconds | You want room for a short story and want to stay at one minute or under |
| Long | 60-90 seconds | You need space to explain, and the clip will be over one minute |
Pick by the clip's job and your music plans. See how long a Short should be for the viewing side, and the video length checker to test a file before you upload.
The one-minute line: music and copyright claims
YouTube's three-minute article says a Short over one minute with an active copyright claim of any type is blocked globally, with no penalty to the channel. The music eligibility page says the same for claims regardless of policy. The Create YouTube Shorts article reads differently and says such Shorts are no longer automatically blocked and may remain playable. YouTube's pages disagree, so check the current wording before you rely on either.
In a 3-minute Short, YouTube says most Shorts Audio Library songs can be used for up to 90 seconds, though some are limited to 60 or 30 seconds.
Sources: Upload YouTube Shorts - YouTube Help (checked 11 October 2026); Create YouTube Shorts - YouTube Help (checked 11 October 2026); Understand three-minute YouTube Shorts - YouTube Help (checked 11 October 2026); Get started creating YouTube Shorts - YouTube Help (checked 11 October 2026); Create YouTube Shorts from your videos - YouTube Help (checked 11 October 2026); Music eligibility for YouTube Shorts - YouTube Help (checked 11 October 2026).