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YouTube Shorts size, length and aspect ratio
The quick answers: a YouTube Short can be up to 3 minutes long, and it must be square or vertical. Most creators upload 1080 × 1920 pixels, a 9:16 aspect ratio. Below is each requirement, and what changes for Shorts longer than one minute.
By ClipSnitch · Reviewed · Check current plans and limits
At a glance
- Maximum length
- Up to 3 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- Vertical (9:16) or square (1:1)
- Recommended size
- 1080 × 1920 pixels
- Maximum file size
- 256 GB or 12 hours, whichever is less
- Music in Shorts over 1 minute
- An active Content ID claim blocks the Short
1. How long can a YouTube Short be?
Up to 3 minutes. Since October 15, 2024, a video of up to three minutes with a square or vertical aspect ratio is treated as a Short. Videos uploaded before that date that run longer than 60 seconds stay regular videos. There is no minimum length; shorter clips are easier to watch to the end, so many creators aim for 15 to 60 seconds.
2. YouTube Shorts aspect ratio
A Short must be square or vertical. A landscape (16:9) video is never a Short, whatever its length. 9:16 fills a phone screen; 1:1 shows with space above and below. If your recording is landscape, reframe it to 9:16 around the speaker rather than adding blurred bars, so the person talking fills the screen.
3. YouTube Shorts dimensions and resolution
YouTube doesn’t require a pixel size for Shorts, but 1080 × 1920 (full HD at 9:16) is the usual choice: sharp on phones and quick to upload. 720 × 1280 works but looks soft on large screens. Keep the frame rate the same as the recording, commonly 24, 30 or 60 frames per second.
4. File size and format
Shorts follow the same upload limit as every YouTube video: 256 GB or 12 hours, whichever is less. A Short is far below either. MP4 with H.264 video and AAC sound is the safest format; MOV and WebM files upload too. If a file is large, compress it to MP4 first so it uploads faster.
5. Music and copyright in longer Shorts
A Short longer than one minute that has an active Content ID claim is blocked worldwide until the claim is resolved; under one minute, nothing changes. YouTube lets you use most songs from its Shorts library for up to 90 seconds in a 3-minute Short, and tracks from the YouTube Audio Library aren’t claimed. Only use music you have the rights to.
6. Checklist before you upload
Vertical 9:16 at 1080 × 1920, under 3 minutes, a first line that tells viewers what the clip is about, captions kept clear of the bottom of the frame where the title and buttons sit, and music you have the rights to. ClipSnitch makes clips from your long videos in 9:16 at 1080 × 1920, with captions you can edit.
Common questions
Can a YouTube Short be longer than 60 seconds?
Yes. Since October 15, 2024, Shorts can be up to 3 minutes long. A Short over one minute with an active Content ID claim is blocked, so check the music in longer ones.
Is a horizontal video a Short?
No. A Short must be square or vertical. A 16:9 video is uploaded as a regular video, even if it is under 3 minutes.
What is the best size for YouTube Shorts?
1080 × 1920 pixels, a 9:16 aspect ratio. It fills a phone screen and keeps captions sharp.
How do I turn a long video into Shorts?
Pick a moment that makes sense on its own, reframe it to 9:16 around the speaker, add captions and keep it under 3 minutes. ClipSnitch suggests moments from your own long recording, reframes them and adds captions for you to review.
Checked on October 19, 2026 against: Understand three-minute YouTube Shorts · Upload YouTube Shorts · Upload videos longer than 15 minutes
Try the workflow with your recording
Review the output before sharing. See the full workflow or explore YouTube Shorts creation.