Use Shorts to be discovered and long videos to keep people. Shorts are vertical videos up to three minutes, shown mainly in the Shorts feed to viewers who have not seen the channel. Long videos earn the watch hours needed for ad monetization and usually earn more per view. Most growing channels publish both and link each Short to a related long video.
Side by side
| Shorts | Long videos | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Vertical or square, up to 3 minutes | Any length, usually horizontal |
| Where views come from | Mostly the Shorts feed | Home, suggested videos, search |
| Viewer intent | Swiping; low commitment | Chose to click; higher commitment |
| Counts toward 4000 watch hours | No | Yes |
| Counts toward the Shorts route | Yes, 10 million views in 90 days | No |
| Revenue | A share of a pooled Shorts ad fund | Ads on the video itself |
| Shelf life | Days to weeks | Months to years for searchable topics |
What each is good for
Shorts are the cheapest way to test a topic and to reach people who do not know you. A Short takes an hour to make and can reach more new viewers in a day than a long video does in a month. The cost is depth: a viewer who swiped past ten Shorts may not remember whose they were.
Long videos are where viewers decide they like you. Ten minutes with a creator builds more familiarity than ten Shorts. Long videos also keep earning from search for years if the topic lasts.
How to use both
- Cut Shorts from long videos. Take the single best moment, reframe it vertically and add a line of on-screen text.
- Link the Short to the long video. YouTube lets you attach a related video to a Short. Use it every time.
- Use Shorts to test. If a Short on a topic does well, make the long version.
- Keep separate expectations. Judge Shorts by views and new subscribers; judge long videos by watch time and returning viewers.
- Do not flood. Several Shorts a day can crowd your long videos out of subscribers' feeds.
Monetization
You can qualify for the YouTube Partner Program through either route: 4000 public watch hours in 12 months, or 10 million public Shorts views in 90 days, both with 1000 subscribers. Shorts views do not add to the watch-hour total. Details are in YouTube monetization requirements.
If you can only make one
Choose by topic. If people search for what you make (repairs, recipes, software, study help), make long videos and add Shorts later. If your content is a reaction, a joke or a quick visual, start with Shorts and build towards longer formats once you know what your audience returns for.
Frequently asked questions
How long can a YouTube Short be?
Up to three minutes for vertical or square videos. Videos over one minute that include claimed copyrighted music may be blocked.
Do Shorts hurt my long videos?
YouTube says Shorts and long videos are recommended by separate systems. In practice, publishing many Shorts can change what subscribers see first, so watch your long-video views after increasing Shorts.
