How Long Should a YouTube Video Be? | Brafton

Imagine this: You want to turn the chicken breasts in your refrigerator into a quick dinner. You find a YouTube video with a promising recipe. The problem? It’s 42 minutes long, and you’re quickly going from hungry to hangry. So you skip that video and look for a shorter one. And so the search continues! 

This scenario reflects the short attention spans many viewers have, emphasizing the importance of an ideal video length. Many situations like this happen when video creators don’t keep their target audience and viewer intent in mind when creating videos. 

So, how long should a YouTube video be? There isn’t a definitive answer to that question, but our guide will walk you through how to determine the optimal length for your videos, whether you prefer short-form content like a quick YouTube Short or longer video formats approaching 15 minutes or more.

What To Consider When Creating YouTube Videos

Let’s be real here: No one wants — or has the time — to listen to you talk about a topic for 60 minutes. So when it comes to YouTube video length, the shorter, the better. Trust us when we say viewers don’t want to hear your life story; they just want the answer that your video promises. 

Therefore, to create a killer YouTube video, you need to cut the fluff, get straight to the point and grab the viewer’s attention right from the get-go. This approach helps with viewer retention, which is crucial to YouTube’s algorithm recognizing your content as high-value, engaging content.

Ideally, a YouTube video should be between 6 and 8 minutes long. Most video marketers agree that you risk losing viewers once your video goes over 10 minutes. Vidyard reports that long video length deters 59.9% of people from watching. And according to YouTube statistics from FortuneLords, 20% of the people who start a video leave after the first 10 seconds. That means when it comes to creating video content, you need to make every second count, whether you opt to produce a short video or are aiming for a slightly longer video.Think about it this way: Imagine asking someone a specific question, but rather than providing a fast answer, they spend 13 minutes talking about things related to your question. Frustrating, isn’t it? Chances are, even if you eventually get an answer, you’re not going to ask them a question again in the future. The same can be said for YouTube videos: If creators don’t get straight to the point, they’re not going to grow their subscriber list — and this can limit your watch time, which is a critical factor if you plan to apply for the YouTube Partner Program.

Different Lengths for Different Types of Videos

Of course, the 6 to 8-minute idea is a rule of thumb that might not apply to every type of YouTube video. Determining the exact length of your YouTube video will depend on factors such as your:

• Topic or industry.
• Target audience age and geographic location.
• Video goals.

While you might aim for your video to fall between six and 8 minutes in length, feel free to check out comparable videos. If it seems like similar videos tend to be 12 minutes long but still achieve a lot of engagement — such as likes, comments and shares — then you may want your video to match what already works. Additionally, consider the type of YouTube video you’re creating to determine the optimal length. Whether you lean toward long-form videos, short video tutorials or something in between, it’s about choosing a content type that resonates best with your viewers.

Commentary YouTube Videos

A commentary video is when someone with knowledge about a particular topic, trend or industry discusses it. The focus isn’t so much on the creator as it is on the subject matter at hand. Viewers are seeking to learn something specific, so these videos should include concise intros and outros. If the video is part of a series, you’ll want to feature a brief recap — no longer than 30 seconds — at the beginning. 

Lately, commentary video creators have been adding subtitles to their videos as well. This technique is very useful for audiences that are looking for videos that are not in their native language. There are tools like subtitle video editors that automatically create subtitles and make this process easier.

For commentary YouTube videos, aim to get your point across in under 8 minutes. To achieve this, avoid talking about yourself or making your video longer for the sake of it. Instead, give a quick introduction to who you are, provide a recap if necessary and then jump into the meat and potatoes of your content. 

Remember, a concise and engaging YouTube intro that sets the stage for your analysis can keep viewers hooked and primed for the insights you’re about to share. Think of it as a trailer that piques their curiosity without giving away the whole movie! By keeping your offering aligned with short-form content, you’ll maintain higher viewer retention and encourage more immediate interaction, which can positively impact YouTube’s algorithm.

YouTuber Jeremy Jahns does an excellent job creating commentary videos based on movies and television. Not only is his channel well-organized for his 1.82 million subscribers, but his commentaries are concise and engaging. Even with a 30-second ad in the beginning, Jeremy provides a powerful analysis on Spider-Man: No Way Home — a 2-hour and 28-minute film — in just 8 minutes.

Tutorial YouTube Videos

Tutorial videos provide clear how-to instructions for a specific topic. According to TechSmith, instructional videos should be under 20 minutes in length. Additionally, TechSmith’s 2021 report on video statistics, habits and trends found that the majority of people prefer informational videos to be 3 to 4 minutes or 5 to 6 minutes in length, and fewer than 10% of viewers prefer instructional videos over 20 minutes. This range functions as an ideal YouTube video length, providing viewers enough detail without overwhelming them.

Here’s an excellent example of a tutorial teaching viewers 25 different ways they can wear a scarf in under 5 minutes. By keeping it under 5 minutes, the creator taps into short attention spans and provides plenty of room for viewer retention.

Product or Service Review YouTube Videos

When creating review YouTube videos, keep your content under 3 minutes. If you’re having trouble meeting your 3-minute target, rework what you’re covering and make the product or service the sole focus of the video. Too many review videos feature the creator chattering about themselves or why they decided to use the product or service. Your viewers don’t want these details — they want to know how the product or service works and if it’s worth buying. Shorter videos can be especially effective since watch time on shorter review clips tends to be more consistent.

Here’s a great example of a short but informative product review video:

Listicle YouTube Videos

The length of a listicle YouTube video will vary depending on how many points you’re covering. For these types of videos, engagement is critical. While you may have a number of points to talk through, you’ll be able to keep viewers watching if you provide content in a concise manner. Cut out extra fluff — like an unnecessarily long intro — and get straight to the list. This is an easy way to produce short video segments while keeping your audience’s focus.MsMojo does a great job of creating engaging YouTube listicle videos — and her 4 million subscribers would agree. While her videos vary in length, they provide content in a straightforward and well-formatted manner. Here’s a prime example:

Key Parts of a Successful YouTube Video — Regardless of Length

When it comes to optimizing your YouTube channel, there are a few best practices to keep in mind that apply to both short-form content and long-form content. These best practices can help content creators balance maximum length and minimum length to keep their audience engaged.

Use Descriptions to Provide More Detail

If you have a lot to cover in your video, consider writing an in-depth blog post on the topic and then providing a link to said blog post in your YouTube description. If you want to give a more detailed narrative about your background and what makes you a subject matter expert on the video topic, include that in the YouTube description as well. This technique allows you to keep your actual video shorter or more targeted while still offering a long-form content option for those who want it.

Create YouTube Playlists to Organize Video Content

What do you do when you have a complicated topic that involves a lengthy response? Easy! Try breaking up your video content into a series — known as creating a YouTube playlist. This video reviews how to make a playlist on YouTube and the various benefits that a playlist can provide to your channel:

With playlists, you can produce a series of shorter videos relating to an umbrella topic. And by creating a series of short video clips that cover a central topic, users will be more inclined to view multiple videos and subscribe to your channel. This approach can also help you experiment with ideal video length and eventually tailor your content to better align with your viewers’ attention levels.

Determine Optimal Video Length With YouTube Analytics

After distributing your videos, use YouTube Analytics to see specific data on how well the videos perform and experiment with different video lengths. For example, you could create 2-minute, 5-minute and 7-minute tutorial videos, then analyze their performance to see which length has the best engagement. 

Tracking watch time, audience retention graphs and drop-off points can guide you toward your ideal YouTube video length and help you stay within standard guidelines for maximum length or minimum length.

Use YouTube Studio

YouTube wants creators to make videos that immerse viewers, which is why they created YouTube Studio. With YouTube Studio, creators can edit or upload new video content, manage their channel, interact with their audience and grow their subscriber count. Whether you’re producing a long-form video like a podcast or a short video that competes with an Instagram Reel, the YouTube Studio platform can streamline the process.

YouTube Videos vs. Videos on Other Platforms

While YouTube is the supreme leader of video content — Hootsuite reports that 74% of U.S. adults use the platform — other social media channels also distribute video content. If you choose to create a Facebook, TikTok or Instagram video, you’ll want to make sure your video length matches what users on that platform want to see. 

For example, short-form content often thrives on platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels videos, whereas YouTube allows for a wider variety of content types and lengths.

For instance, a Facebook Video Study from Socialinsider found that the optimal length for a Facebook video is between 2 and 5 minutes. However, Influencer Marketing Hub reports that while TikTok creators can make videos up to 3 minutes long, the ideal length for a TikTok video ad is 9 to 15 seconds, and the majority of viral TikTok videos do not exceed 60 seconds. This shows how crucial it is for content creators to tailor their content to each platform’s audience expectations, from podcast-length segments to extremely short videos.

Your Recipe for YouTube Success

When creating a killer YouTube video, keep these 3 tips in mind:

1. Grab attention with a good intro.
2. Get to the meat and potatoes of your video quickly — no fluff needed.
3. Create playlists to organize your videos for a better user experience.

When you keep your viewer intent at the forefront of your video content strategy, you’ll create YouTube videos that captivate your target audience, resulting in more views and subscribers. 

Whether you decide on a short video or a longer video, the key is to continuously refine your approach so that viewers’ attention remains on your content.

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Editor’s Note: Updated May 2025.