YouTube Shorts expands to three-minute videos, increasing creator flexibility

In a major update to empower creators, YouTube has announced that its popular Shorts format will soon support videos up to three minutes in length.

This extension is currently limited to 60 seconds and goes into effect on October 15th. It's a response to creators' demand for more flexibility in storytelling.

In a blog post, the company highlighted that this feature was the most requested by its creator community. The new three-minute limit applies to videos with a square or higher aspect ratio, ensuring previously uploaded content remains unaffected.

YouTube is also improving the Shorts experience with a redesigned player that features a sleeker design, putting creators' content front and center while providing viewers with an immersive viewing experience. Additionally, users will soon be able to use templates to create shorts inspired by their favorite trends, offering a new way to remix content. By selecting the Remix option for a short film they like, users can easily access these templates and personalize their creations with new audio and unique elements.

In the coming months, YouTube will further enrich the Shorts experience by allowing users to access a wider range of content directly from the Shorts camera. This feature allows users to remix clips from their favorite videos and music, drawing from multiple sources on the platform.

Additionally, YouTube will integrate Google Deepmind's Veo video generation model into Shorts. This innovative tool allows YouTubers to enhance their videos with imaginative backgrounds and unique video clips, expanding the creative possibilities within the format.

To improve user experience, YouTube is also introducing a new feature called Show Less Shorts, which allows users to customize their feed to suit their personal preferences. By clicking the three-dot menu in the top right corner of a shorts grid in their home feed, users can temporarily reduce the number of shorts displayed.