# How long should a YouTube Short be? What the trending ones actually run to

Canonical: https://www.veedio.co/data/youtube-shorts-length

Sample: 2,677 trending YouTube Shorts with a reported length, from 2,235 channels across 121 niches, fetched Oct 31, 2026 – Nov 8, 2026. Uploads from Sep 21, 2026 – Nov 8, 2026. 2 further videos had no reported length and are left out.
Not in this sample (no cached search from the last 14 days): AI horror, AI robot, AI drama, AI cooking, Animated horror, AI emotional story, AI love story, Backrooms, AI transformation, AI school, Caveman, AI zombie, AI alien, Islamic cartoon, AI tiger, AI horse, AI mermaid, AI superhero, AI rabbit, AI lion, AI talking objects, AI grandma, Claymation, Monster truck, AI panda, Tractor, AI animal hospital, AI skeleton, AI bear, AI sci-fi, AI time travel, Analog horror, Police car, AI family, AI elephant, AI history, Garbage truck, AI snake, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Back to school, English vocabulary, Earth Day, Easter, Coding, Geography, Deep sea creatures, Chess, Urban legends, Aviation, Optical illusions, Quotes, Success stories, Tooth fairy, April Fools’ Day, Ramadan, Philosophy, Inventions, Phonics, Abandoned places, Affirmations, Detective stories, Physics, Memorial Day, Air fryer recipes, Biology, Extinct animals, Cold War, Etymology, Ancient Greece, Size comparison, Hanukkah, Medieval history, Cleaning, Wedding video, Nail art, Car sales, Haircut transformation, Cake decorating, Affiliate marketing, Restaurant, Lawyer, Product review, UGC ad, Car detailing, Food truck, Barista, Interior design, Insurance, Small business, Digital marketing, Home renovation, Personal trainer, Dentist, Plumber, Roofing, Chiropractor, Med spa, E-commerce, Mortgage, Financial advisor.

## Length

- Median length: 39 seconds (n=2,677)
- Middle half (25th–75th percentile): 18–72 seconds
- Shortest and longest: 4 seconds, 3 minutes
- 30 seconds or less: 42.2% (1,129 of 2,677)
- Over a minute: 32.5% (869 of 2,677)

## By length band (share of videos, median views per day)

- 15 seconds or less: 18.3% (489 of 2,677), 42,976 views/day
- 16–30 seconds: 23.9% (640 of 2,677), 79,728 views/day
- 31–45 seconds: 12.9% (344 of 2,677), 58,909 views/day
- 46–60 seconds: 12.5% (335 of 2,677), 72,479 views/day
- 61–90 seconds: 14.3% (384 of 2,677), 61,907 views/day
- 91 seconds to 3 minutes: 18.1% (485 of 2,677), 64,638 views/day

Views per day by band is a correlation among videos that already rank, not a cause.

## By niche (median length, niches with at least 10 timed videos)

- Reddit stories: 2 minutes 49 seconds, over a minute 100.0% (19 of 19) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/reddit-stories
- AI village: 2 minutes 31 seconds, over a minute 87.5% (21 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-village
- AI chicken: 1 minute 56 seconds, over a minute 70.8% (17 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-chicken
- AI stories: 1 minute 36 seconds, over a minute 81.3% (13 of 16) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-stories
- Moral stories: 1 minute 27 seconds, over a minute 58.3% (14 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/moral-stories
- Bible stories: 1 minute 23 seconds, over a minute 70.8% (17 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/bible-stories
- Personal finance: 1 minute 21 seconds, over a minute 66.7% (16 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/personal-finance
- AI fruit drama: 1 minute 20 seconds, over a minute 83.3% (20 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-fruit-drama
- Cybersecurity: 1 minute 19 seconds, over a minute 65.2% (15 of 23) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/cybersecurity
- Real estate: 1 minute 19 seconds, over a minute 62.5% (15 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/real-estate
- AI animation: 1 minute 17 seconds, over a minute 54.2% (13 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-animation
- Tech news: 1 minute 14 seconds, over a minute 54.2% (13 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/tech-news
- Engineering: 1 minute 12 seconds, over a minute 62.5% (15 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/engineering
- Lawn care: 1 minute 12 seconds, over a minute 54.2% (13 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/lawn-care
- Science facts: 1 minute 10 seconds, over a minute 62.5% (15 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/science-facts
- AI werewolf: 1 minute 9 seconds, over a minute 50.0% (12 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-werewolf
- US presidents: 1 minute 8 seconds, over a minute 62.5% (15 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/us-presidents
- Zodiac signs: 1 minute 7 seconds, over a minute 52.9% (9 of 17) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/zodiac-signs
- Paranormal: 1 minute 4 seconds, over a minute 62.5% (15 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/paranormal
- American history: 1 minute 4 seconds, over a minute 58.3% (14 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/american-history
- World War II: 1 minute 4 seconds, over a minute 54.2% (13 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/world-war-2
- Would you rather: 1 minute 4 seconds, over a minute 54.2% (13 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/would-you-rather
- AI fantasy: 1 minute 3 seconds, over a minute 54.2% (13 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-fantasy
- Creepypasta: 1 minute 3 seconds, over a minute 56.3% (9 of 16) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/creepypasta
- Economics: 1 minute 3 seconds, over a minute 58.3% (14 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/economics
- True crime: 1 minute 3 seconds, over a minute 50.0% (12 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/true-crime
- Weird facts: 1 minute 2 seconds, over a minute 54.2% (13 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/weird-facts
- Riddles: 1 minute 1 second, over a minute 50.0% (12 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/riddles
- History: 1 minute, over a minute 45.8% (11 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/history
- Mythology: 1 minute, over a minute 45.8% (11 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/mythology
- Fantasy football: 58 seconds, over a minute 45.8% (11 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/fantasy-football
- Horror stories: 58 seconds, over a minute 41.7% (10 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/horror-stories
- Motivation: 58 seconds, over a minute 41.7% (10 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/motivation
- AI survival: 56 seconds, over a minute 50.0% (12 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-survival
- Quiz: 56 seconds, over a minute 33.3% (8 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/quiz
- Space facts: 55 seconds, over a minute 33.3% (8 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/space-facts
- Bedtime stories: 54 seconds, over a minute 45.8% (11 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/bedtime-stories
- Fun facts: 53 seconds, over a minute 37.5% (9 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/fun-facts
- AI dragon: 52 seconds, over a minute 37.5% (9 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-dragon
- AI monster: 52 seconds, over a minute 33.3% (8 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-monster
- AI ASMR: 52 seconds, over a minute 45.8% (11 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-asmr
- AI shorts: 52 seconds, over a minute 37.5% (9 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-shorts
- Chemistry: 52 seconds, over a minute 37.5% (9 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/chemistry
- Dinosaur: 52 seconds, over a minute 33.3% (8 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/dinosaurs
- Poems: 51 seconds, over a minute 25.0% (6 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/poems
- Meditation: 50 seconds, over a minute 37.5% (9 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/meditation
- Travel: 49 seconds, over a minute 33.3% (8 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/travel
- Cooking: 48 seconds, over a minute 29.2% (7 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/cooking
- Book summaries: 47 seconds, over a minute 41.7% (10 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/book-summaries
- AI-generated video: 45 seconds, over a minute 29.2% (7 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-generated-videos
- Fairy tales: 43 seconds, over a minute 45.8% (11 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/fairy-tales
- What if: 43 seconds, over a minute 37.5% (9 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/what-if
- Math tricks: 43 seconds, over a minute 27.3% (6 of 22) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/math-tricks
- Productivity: 42 seconds, over a minute 29.2% (7 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/productivity
- Dark psychology: 40 seconds, over a minute 20.8% (5 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/dark-psychology
- Roman Empire: 40 seconds, over a minute 33.3% (8 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/roman-empire
- Unsolved mysteries: 40 seconds, over a minute 25.0% (6 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/unsolved-mysteries
- Psychology facts: 39 seconds, over a minute 12.5% (3 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/psychology-facts
- Life hacks: 38 seconds, over a minute 33.3% (8 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/life-hacks
- Dad jokes: 37 seconds, over a minute 33.3% (8 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/dad-jokes
- AI evolution: 37 seconds, over a minute 12.5% (3 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-evolution
- Jewelry making: 36 seconds, over a minute 29.2% (7 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/jewelry-making
- AI princess: 36 seconds, over a minute 37.5% (9 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-princess
- Pest control: 36 seconds, over a minute 16.7% (4 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/pest-control
- Birthday wishes: 35 seconds, over a minute 29.2% (7 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/birthday-wishes
- NBA: 35 seconds, over a minute 16.7% (4 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/nba
- UFO: 35 seconds, over a minute 33.3% (8 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ufo
- AI anime: 34 seconds, over a minute 45.8% (11 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-anime
- YouTube automation: 34 seconds, over a minute 16.7% (4 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/youtube-automation
- AI animal: 33 seconds, over a minute 33.3% (8 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-animals
- AI comedy: 33 seconds, over a minute 20.8% (5 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-comedy
- AI music video: 33 seconds, over a minute 16.7% (4 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-music-videos
- Faceless channels: 33 seconds, over a minute 25.0% (6 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/faceless
- Side hustle: 33 seconds, over a minute 12.5% (3 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/side-hustle
- AI brainrot: 32 seconds, over a minute 12.5% (3 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-brainrot
- Car facts: 32 seconds, over a minute 12.5% (3 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/car-facts
- Animal facts: 32 seconds, over a minute 33.3% (8 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/animal-facts
- Bigfoot: 31 seconds, over a minute 29.2% (7 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/bigfoot
- Christmas cartoons: 31 seconds, over a minute 21.7% (5 of 23) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/christmas-cartoons
- Kids cartoon: 31 seconds, over a minute 29.2% (7 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/kids-cartoons
- New Year: 31 seconds, over a minute 20.8% (5 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/new-year
- Veterans Day: 31 seconds, over a minute 8.3% (2 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/veterans-day
- Language learning: 30 seconds, over a minute 17.4% (4 of 23) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/language-learning
- Fire truck: 30 seconds, over a minute 16.7% (4 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/fire-trucks
- AI cartoon: 29 seconds, over a minute 37.5% (9 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-cartoon
- Train: 29 seconds, over a minute 16.7% (4 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/trains
- Chinese New Year: 28 seconds, over a minute 16.7% (4 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/chinese-new-year
- Graduation: 28 seconds, over a minute 29.2% (7 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/graduation
- AI POV: 27 seconds, over a minute 20.8% (5 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-pov
- AI tools: 27 seconds, over a minute 29.2% (7 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-tools
- Super Bowl: 27 seconds, over a minute 25.0% (6 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/super-bowl
- Thanksgiving: 27 seconds, over a minute 33.3% (8 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/thanksgiving
- Dog grooming: 26 seconds, over a minute 12.5% (3 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/dog-grooming
- NFL: 26 seconds, over a minute 20.8% (5 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/nfl
- Stick figure animation: 26 seconds, over a minute 8.3% (2 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/stick-figure
- Black Friday: 26 seconds, over a minute 16.7% (4 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/black-friday
- Sports facts: 26 seconds, over a minute 25.0% (6 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/sports-facts
- Ancient Egypt: 25 seconds, over a minute 12.5% (3 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ancient-egypt
- Mindset: 25 seconds, over a minute 16.7% (4 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/mindset
- Excavator: 24 seconds, over a minute 12.5% (3 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/excavators
- Valentine’s Day: 23 seconds, over a minute 0.0% (0 of 17) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/valentines-day
- AI cat: 23 seconds, over a minute 12.5% (3 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-cats
- Fitness: 23 seconds, over a minute 20.8% (5 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/fitness
- Halloween: 22 seconds, over a minute 4.2% (1 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/halloween
- AI capybara: 21 seconds, over a minute 16.7% (4 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-capybara
- AI dog: 21 seconds, over a minute 8.3% (2 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-dog
- Pets: 21 seconds, over a minute 25.0% (6 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/pets
- AI dance: 19 seconds, over a minute 8.3% (2 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-dance
- Study tips: 19 seconds, over a minute 8.3% (2 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/study-tips
- AI miniature: 19 seconds, over a minute 4.2% (1 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-miniature
- AI gorilla: 18 seconds, over a minute 12.5% (3 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-gorilla
- AI penguin: 18 seconds, over a minute 4.2% (1 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-penguin
- AI frog: 17 seconds, over a minute 12.5% (3 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-frog
- AI baby: 16 seconds, over a minute 8.3% (2 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-baby
- AI pigeon: 15 seconds, over a minute 4.2% (1 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-pigeon
- Christmas: 15 seconds, over a minute 0.0% (0 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/christmas
- AI cow: 14 seconds, over a minute 12.5% (3 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-cow
- AI monkey: 13 seconds, over a minute 8.3% (2 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-monkey
- AI parrot: 11 seconds, over a minute 12.5% (3 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/ai-parrot
- Stoicism: 11 seconds, over a minute 16.7% (4 of 24) — https://www.veedio.co/trending/youtube-shorts/stoicism

1 niches had too few timed videos for a median of their own.

## YouTube's own rules

YouTube’s help centre says Shorts can be up to three minutes long: square or vertical videos of up to three minutes uploaded on or after October 15, 2024 are categorized as Shorts. It also says a Short over one minute with an active Content ID claim is blocked globally, a rule that does not apply to Shorts under a minute. Read on 4 November 2026: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/15424877

## Method

- Source: the YouTube Data API searches behind our /trending/youtube-shorts niche pages, one per niche (222 niches): videos YouTube classes as short, published in the last 45 days, ordered by view count, US region, English relevance, first 50 results.
- Each niche page keeps Shorts of three minutes or less with at least 1,000 views, drops titles that do not read as English, ranks the rest by views per day since upload, allows at most two per channel and keeps the top 24. Those ranked lists, pooled across niches, are the sample — Shorts already winning in a niche, not every Short.
- A niche's search is used only if it was fetched in the last 14 days. A video that ranks in two niches is counted once. Videos with no duration in YouTube's reply are left out and counted separately.
- Length is the duration YouTube reports for the video, in whole seconds. Because the ranking keeps nothing over 180 seconds, the sample cannot contain anything longer than three minutes.
- The middle half is the 25th to 75th percentile, by linear interpolation (the same definition as Postgres percentile_cont).
- Views per day = views at fetch ÷ days between upload and fetch, with the first day counted as a whole one. A length band or a niche gets a median of its own only with at least 10 videos.
- Views per day by length band is a correlation inside a sample of videos that already rank. Niches differ in both length and speed, so a band can look fast because of which niches fill it. It is not evidence that changing a video's length changes its views.
- The page shows figures only when at least 100 videos with a length are available. It recomputes from the cached searches on every page refresh (at most every 15 minutes) and never calls YouTube itself. No measured figure on this page is typed in by hand.

## FAQ

### How long should a YouTube Short be?

There is no length that guarantees views, but here is what is winning: in the latest sample (2,677 trending YouTube Shorts with a reported length, from 2,235 channels across 121 niches, fetched Oct 31, 2026 – Nov 8, 2026), the median trending Short ran 39 seconds, and the middle half ran between 18 and 72 seconds. 42.2% (1,129 of 2,677) were 30 seconds or less and 32.5% (869 of 2,677) were over a minute.

### How long can a YouTube Short be?

YouTube’s help centre says Shorts can be up to three minutes long: square or vertical videos of up to three minutes uploaded on or after October 15, 2024 are categorized as Shorts. It also says a Short over one minute with an active Content ID claim is blocked globally, a rule that does not apply to Shorts under a minute. We read that page on 4 November 2026; it is linked on this page. YouTube changes these rules, so check it before you rely on them.

### What share of trending Shorts are longer than a minute?

32.5% (869 of 2,677) of the trending Shorts in this sample ran over 60 seconds, and the longest ran 3 minutes.

### Do longer YouTube Shorts get more views?

In this sample the length band with the highest median views per day was 16–30 seconds (79,728 views/day, n=640). The most common band was 16–30 seconds, with 23.9% of videos (640 of 2,677). Any difference is a correlation among videos that already rank, and niches differ in both length and speed, so it does not show that making a video longer or shorter would change its views.

### Does the best length depend on the niche?

The medians differ by niche. Among the 120 niches with at least 10 timed videos, the longest median was Reddit stories at 2 minutes 49 seconds (n=19) and the shortest was Stoicism at 11 seconds (n=24). The full table is on the page.

### Where does this data come from?

From public YouTube metadata — durations, view counts and upload dates — returned by the YouTube Data API for the searches behind our trending niche pages. No transcripts and no private data. The method section lists every rule.

### How often is it updated?

Each niche search runs when its page is visited and its ranking has expired, at most once a day per niche. This page recomputes from the cached results at most every 15 minutes and uses searches up to 14 days old. The fetch dates and sample size are printed beside the figures.

### Can I cite these numbers?

Yes. Cite “Veedio, How long should a YouTube Short be? What the trending ones actually run to” with the link and the fetch dates shown on the page, because the figures move as the data refreshes.

### Can I make a YouTube Short of a set length with Veedio?

Yes. You set the target length before the video is made, and the YouTube Shorts generator turns a one-line idea into a narrated vertical video with generated visuals and captions. Plans from $7/month · 7-day money-back guarantee.

Niches compared: https://www.veedio.co/data/best-youtube-shorts-niches
Make one: https://www.veedio.co/tools/youtube-shorts-generator — Plans from $7/month · 7-day money-back guarantee.