{"id":23500,"date":"2023-10-20T01:34:08","date_gmt":"2023-10-20T07:34:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/?p=23500"},"modified":"2026-05-25T01:41:58","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T07:41:58","slug":"how-long-should-a-youtube-video-be","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/best-length-for-youtube-videos","title":{"rendered":"Best Length for YouTube Videos to Boost Engagement (2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><div class=\"su-box su-box-style-default\" id=\"\" style=\"border-color:#2006a0;border-radius:14px\"><div class=\"su-box-title\" style=\"background-color:#5339D3;color:#FFFFFF;border-top-left-radius:12px;border-top-right-radius:12px\">Key Takeaways<\/div><div class=\"su-box-content su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"border-bottom-left-radius:12px;border-bottom-right-radius:12px\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><div class=\"sue-icon-text\" data-url=\"\" data-target=\"self\" style=\"min-height:30px;padding-left:30px;color:#000000\"><div class=\"sue-icon-text-icon\" style=\"color:#5339D3;font-size:20px;width:20px;height:20px\"><i class=\"sui sui-angle-double-right\" style=\"font-size:20px;color:#5339D3\"><\/i><\/div><div class=\"sue-icon-text-content su-u-trim\" style=\"color:#000000\">Videos can be up to <strong>12 hours long<\/strong><\/div><div style=\"clear:both;height:0\"><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><div class=\"sue-icon-text\" data-url=\"\" data-target=\"self\" style=\"min-height:30px;padding-left:30px;color:#000000\"><div class=\"sue-icon-text-icon\" style=\"color:#5339D3;font-size:20px;width:20px;height:20px\"><i class=\"sui sui-angle-double-right\" style=\"font-size:20px;color:#5339D3\"><\/i><\/div><div class=\"sue-icon-text-content su-u-trim\" style=\"color:#000000\">Most videos perform best at <strong>5 \u2013 15 minutes long<\/strong><\/div><div style=\"clear:both;height:0\"><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><div class=\"sue-icon-text\" data-url=\"\" data-target=\"self\" style=\"min-height:30px;padding-left:30px;color:#000000\"><div class=\"sue-icon-text-icon\" style=\"color:#5339D3;font-size:20px;width:20px;height:20px\"><i class=\"sui sui-angle-double-right\" style=\"font-size:20px;color:#5339D3\"><\/i><\/div><div class=\"sue-icon-text-content su-u-trim\" style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>Shorts drive views and subs<\/strong>, but earnings are pitiful<\/div><div style=\"clear:both;height:0\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">YouTube allows <strong>non-verified accounts<\/strong> to upload videos that are up to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/youtube\/answer\/71673?hl=en&amp;co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid#:~:text=By%20default%2C%20you%20can%20upload,Open%20the%20YouTube%20mobile%20app.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">15 minutes<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> long. <strong>Verifying your account<\/strong> will allow you to upload videos with the following restrictions:<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-list\" style=\"margin-left:0px\">\n<ul>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> 256 GB in size (huge)<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> 12 hours in length<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>You may even find older videos that are longer than 12 hours on the platform, but this is no longer allowed. With every creator wanting to increase their reach and exposure, there is <strong>one question on everyone\u2019s mind<\/strong>: what\u2019s the best length for YouTube videos?<\/p>\n<h2><strong>What\u2019s the <span style=\"color: #5339d3;\">Best Length for YouTube Videos for Engagement?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-35257\" src=\"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Best-Length-for-YouTube-Videos.jpg\" alt=\"Best Length for YouTube Videos\" width=\"900\" height=\"368\" srcset=\"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Best-Length-for-YouTube-Videos.jpg 650w, https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Best-Length-for-YouTube-Videos-600x246.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every niche and audience is <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">different<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. You&#8217;ll find reports that videos <strong>between 3 and 8 minutes<\/strong> perform best, but there are also <strong>recommendations of 5 to 15 minutes.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, what about your audience?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Can you make longer videos?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Absolutely. You can make videos that are three hours long, and if people are watching, you\u2019ll earn a ton of money from them.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#e5ddce;border-radius:14px;-moz-border-radius:14px;-webkit-border-radius:14px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#fff7e8;border-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;border-radius:14px;-moz-border-radius:14px;-webkit-border-radius:14px;\"><div class=\"su-list\" style=\"margin-left:0px\">\n<p>A <strong>few examples<\/strong> of videos of different lengths that do well are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> MrBeast\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=0e3GPea1Tyg&amp;t=8s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$456,000 Squid Game in Real Life<\/a> has 500M views and is <strong>25:42 in length<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> MrBeast\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=9bqk6ZUsKyA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">I Spent 50 Hours Buried Alive<\/a> has 296M views and is <strong>12:40 long<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> Martijn Doolaard\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=GhtmIof43ok\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">One Year renovation video<\/a> for his two stone cabins has 8.3M views and is <strong>3 hours and 2 minutes long<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Martijn posts videos that are <strong>routinely 25 minutes long<\/strong> or longer, and he has exceptional engagement and high views. <strong>Why?<\/strong> His niche and style of video allow it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You want to create videos that are the right length for your audience and can keep them engaged.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Never drag out<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> a production to reach an imaginary time threshold because it\u2019s better to focus on being engaging and really hooking your audience into the video.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>In short,<\/strong> <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">focus on great content, add in hooks and cuts, and meet the expectations of your audience<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>What\u2019s the Best <span style=\"color: #5339d3;\">Length for YouTube Videos for Earnings?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019ve found that your videos are <strong>shorter than 10 minutes, you may be wondering: <\/strong><\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">where are my earnings?<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> You can monetize a 2-minute video, but it will earn 50% of what a video that is 6 \u2013 8 minutes long video would.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Longer videos that are <strong>8 minutes long<\/strong> can feature a mid-roll.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And a mid-roll makes good money.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It&#8217;s also known that YouTube likes longer videos that have high engagement. Every creator needs to be mindful of YouTube\u2019s algorithm, which is why so many videos are just 10 minutes long or a little over.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#e5ddce;border-radius:14px;-moz-border-radius:14px;-webkit-border-radius:14px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#fff7e8;border-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;border-radius:14px;-moz-border-radius:14px;-webkit-border-radius:14px;\"><div class=\"su-list\" style=\"margin-left:0px\">\n<p><strong>A General Rule of Thumb:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> Longer videos = more opportunities for ads<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> Longer videos will lead to lower engagement rates (to an extent)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you create content that keeps the viewer glued to their screen, you\u2019ll earn more revenue. Audiences with short attention spans prefer shorter videos.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do what your audience craves, and you\u2019ll profit from it in the end.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong><span style=\"color: #5339d3;\">What Types of Videos Work Well<\/span> When They\u2019re Short?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re creating short content and it works for you, keep doing what works. However, if you\u2019re used to producing longer videos and want to break the cycle, try the following options:<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-list\" style=\"margin-left:0px\">\n<ul>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> <strong>Product Reviews \u2013<\/strong> which rarely exceed the 10-minute mark<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> <strong>Branding Videos \u2013<\/strong> perfect for businesses<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> <strong>Explainer Videos \u2013<\/strong> ideal for products and\/or services<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> <strong>Fast Tips \u2013<\/strong> good for anything<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> <strong>Teaser Videos \u2013<\/strong> perfect when trying to tease about an upcoming video<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> <strong>Educational Content \u2013<\/strong> when you can answer the question fast<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> <strong>Highlights \u2013<\/strong> where you can rapidly show highlights to your audience<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">YouTube has also released Shorts, which are very short videos that are under <strong>60 seconds in length<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #5339d3;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #333333;\">What<\/span> About YouTube Shorts?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019ve probably heard that quick, short videos tend to get the most engagement. That\u2019s why YouTube Shorts are so popular. But here\u2019s the thing. Shorts are <strong>great for views and attracting subscribers<\/strong>. They\u2019re <strong>not so great for generating income<\/strong>, according to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/PartneredYoutube\/comments\/11xh3c9\/have_you_seen_any_benefit_from_youtube_shorts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">creators on Reddit<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The length may be ideal, but you need a way to bring these viewers over to your long-form content. Otherwise, they\u2019ll just scroll through your Shorts and move on to the next creator.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even YouTube recommends using Shorts as a way to build brand awareness and engagement.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Best Practices for YouTube Shorts<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you do want to incorporate Shorts into your channel, here are some best practices to follow:<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-list\" style=\"margin-left:0px\">\n<ul>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> <strong>Be Consistent: <\/strong>Post every day if you can, but don\u2019t neglect your long-form content.<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> <strong>Be Relevant:<\/strong>\u00a0Create content that your audience wants to see. How-tos, quick reviews, fun facts, tips and experiments are all great types of content to share.<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> <strong>Make the Seconds Count:<\/strong>\u00a0The first few seconds of your Short should be captivating and engaging to hook the viewer.<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> <strong>Use Captions:<\/strong>\u00a0And be creative with them to keep viewers engaged.<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> <strong>Use Trending Hashtags and Songs:<\/strong>\u00a0The right tags and music will make it easier to find your content.<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> <strong>Be Authentic:<\/strong>\u00a0People want to see the real you, so make sure that you\u2019re being genuine and authentic in your Shorts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While you shouldn\u2019t necessarily rely on Shorts, you can use them as a way to get people interested in your other videos. And you can choose a length for your long-form content that suits your particular audience.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong><span style=\"color: #5339d3;\">Understanding Your Audience\u2019s<\/span> Ideal Video Length<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finding the best length for your YouTube videos can be complex. Sure, you can find data on the best lengths <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">on average<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, but what about your channel individually?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you want to understand the ideal video length for <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">your <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">audience, <strong>start by looking at your analytics<\/strong>. If you\u2019re a new creator, this is something that won\u2019t work for you right <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">now<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. You\u2019ll need to build up your channel a little to gather some data first.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But if you already have an existing channel, take a look at your data. You likely have videos of different lengths. <strong>Consider the following<\/strong>:<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-list\" style=\"margin-left:0px\">\n<ul>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> Which lengths got the most engagement?<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-location-arrow\" style=\"color:#5339D3\"><\/i> Which videos had the longest view time?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use the data you have on hand to find an average length that seems to be ideal for your audience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finding the best length for your YouTube videos is often a matter of trial and error. But if you\u2019re just getting started with your channel, you can use the recommended lengths as a starting point. As you create and publish more content, you can use your data to find the perfect length based on your individual audience.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are you making videos too long and killing your engagement rate? Are your videos too short? Discover the best length for YouTube videos for engagement and making money.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":23599,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[157,77],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23500","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-content-creation","category-youtube"],"acf":[],"modified_by":"John","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23500","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23500"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23500\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38267,"href":"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23500\/revisions\/38267"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23599"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23500"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23500"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23500"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}