YouTube has announced a major update to its Shorts platform that extends video length and adds new tools for creators.
Starting October 15, creators will be able to upload shorts up to 3 minutes long, tripling the available length. The extension works with both square and vertical video input.
Todd Sherman, director of product management for YouTube Shorts, said the longer version is designed to make Shorts “more” storytelling, as creators often request.
YouTube also plans to expand recommendations to support these extensions for shorts. Videos with a square or vertical aspect ratio are subject to the 3-minute YouTube Shorts limit; videos uploaded before October 15th won’t be affected.
Several new tools have also been introduced such as “Templates, Enhanced Remixing and AI Integration”.
The change illustrates TikTok’s early transformation: In 2021, TikTok is increasing video length from 60 seconds to 3 minutes, most recently recording videos up to 10 minutes long and uploading them up to 60 minutes long. TikTok’s expansion is seen as a strategy to compete with YouTube in the long-form video space.
