YouTube announces extending the duration of short videos
Video sharing platform YouTube has announced new changes to Shorts, including extending the maximum length of these clips and adding new tools for content creators. These updates are expected to be rolled out in the coming weeks.
Starting in mid-October, YouTube will allow uploads of Shorts up to 3 minutes long, which is 3 times the current limit of 1 minute.
This change applies to square and vertical videos, and the company said it will improve its recommendation algorithms for those videos over time.
YouTube will offer several new tools for content creators, such as integrating DeepMind's Veo model - a subsidiary of Google - to create AI backgrounds and videos.
Additionally, YouTube is introducing improvements to the user engagement experience, including adding a country-specific trending video page to the Shorts section, with easy-to-view comments, and customizing the feed by adding a “Show fewer Shorts” option on the home page for users who don’t want to watch them.
These updates come as YouTube competes with other platforms like TikTok and Instagram in the short-form video market. Extending the length of videos could help bridge the gap between short-form content and traditional content on the platform.
Todd Sherman, YouTube's director of product management, said that extending the length of short videos to 3 minutes was "one of the most requested features from content creators."
These changes raise questions about their impact on viewer engagement, and their success may depend on how effectively YouTube's algorithm recommends this type of content.