YouTube Shorts

YouTube Shorts are short vertical or square videos designed primarily for mobile viewing. They appear in the Shorts feed, where users can move from one video to the next with a simple swipe.

Shorts are designed for quick, mobile-first content and are handled differently from standard long-form YouTube videos.

Technical basics

YouTube Shorts generally follow these basic specifications:

  • Format: vertical or square video, with 9:16 recommended for full-screen mobile viewing
  • Recommended resolution: 1080 × 1920 pixels for 9:16 videos
  • Frame rate: use the video's original frame rate; common rates include 24, 25, 30, 50 or 60 fps
  • File formats: common formats such as MP4, MOV, AVI or WebM
  • Maximum length: up to 3 minutes

When using music in YouTube Shorts, it is important to distinguish between music added through the Shorts Audio Library and music that is already embedded in the uploaded video.

Music added through YouTube's Shorts creation tools is licensed according to YouTube's Shorts agreements. In a three-minute Short, most songs from the Shorts Audio Library can be used for up to 90 seconds, although some tracks may be limited to 60 or 30 seconds.

If copyrighted music is already embedded in the video before uploading it, YouTube's Content ID system may detect the recording and place a copyright claim on the Short. This can also happen when artists use their own distributed music, for example if the recording is claimed by their label or distributor.

A Content ID claim is not the same as a copyright strike and does not automatically result in a penalty for the channel. The availability and monetization of the Short may, however, be affected depending on the copyright policy applied.

If you believe that a claim has been made incorrectly, you can review and dispute it directly through YouTube Studio.

Important to know

  • Availability of music in YouTube Shorts can vary by territory
  • Music usage and availability depend on the applicable rights and licensing agreements
  • If you cannot find a track in the Shorts music library, this may be related to regional rights or platform-side limitations
  • Changes to music availability can take some time to appear across all territories
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