YouTube Shorts extends the video length to three minutes

YouTube Shorts now allows creators to upload videos up to three minutes long – as the company takes on TikTok's short-form video dominance.

In a blog post published on Thursday, YouTube announced several updates to its short-video platform YouTube Shorts.

In particular, from October 15th, YouTubers can now upload videos up to three minutes in length. The maximum video length was previously 60 seconds.

“This has been a most requested feature by creators, so we're excited to give you more flexibility in telling your story,” YouTube's blog post said.

“This change applies to videos whose aspect ratio is square or higher and will not affect videos you uploaded before October 15th. And we will work to improve recommendations for longer shorts in the coming months.”

The company also announces that it is improving the Shorts player, introducing new templates and launching a dedicated Shorts trends page for mobile users.

YouTube has launched a new Shorts trends page on the smartphone app, allowing users to see what's popular in their country.

YouTube Shorts users will soon be able to preview comment highlights directly in the Shorts feed without having to navigate to the comments section.

Additionally, YouTube Shorts introduces templates that allow creators to easily follow the latest trends, combine their clips with popular sounds, and add their own unique touches. To use this feature, creators simply tap “Remix” on a short film and select “Use this template.”

In the coming months, users will also have the ability to access YouTube content directly from the Shorts camera, making it easier to remix clips from their favorite videos.

A few weeks ago, YouTube also announced that it would begin integrating Google DeepMind's Veo generative AI video model into YouTube Shorts later this year. The company says this will give creators the ability to change their video backgrounds or publish standalone video clips.

There will also be the ability for YouTube users to customize how often they want to see Shorts in their own feeds. The platform introduces the “Show less shorts” option. YouTube users can select the setting from the three-dot menu in the top right of each Shorts grid in their home feed and they will temporarily see fewer of these videos.

The transformation from YouTube to TikTok

YouTube is fighting for a stronger presence in the short video sector, directly challenging TikTok's dominance.

Last year, YouTube launched a new tool that allows creators to convert their existing longer videos into “shorts.”

Additionally, content creators who use YouTube Shorts have the option to monetize their short videos.

TikTok has gradually embraced long-form content and is competing directly with YouTube. In January, the company was spotted offering incentives to creators to start publishing horizontal, longer videos.

In February last year, TikTok announced that it would increase the maximum video length from three to ten minutes. Previously the limit was 60 seconds, having initially been expanded from 15 seconds.

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