You can make a YouTube Short by recording in the YouTube mobile app or uploading an existing square or vertical video. The current documented maximum is up to three minutes.
After recording or uploading, preview the video, make any necessary edits, choose audio you are allowed to use, add the title and audience settings, and publish from the YouTube app or YouTube Studio on a computer.
What counts as a YouTube Short
A Short is a short-form YouTube video made in a square or vertical format. You can create it directly with the Shorts camera on a smartphone, or prepare the video elsewhere and upload it through the mobile app or YouTube Studio on desktop.
The format matters because a wide video may not fill a phone screen in the way you intended. If you are filming a person speaking, a recipe, a devotional clip, a product demonstration or a local update, vertical framing usually gives you more room on the phone display. A square video can also qualify, provided it meets YouTube's current requirements.
The maximum duration documented in YouTube's current help guidance is up to three minutes. Do not assume that a longer file will simply be treated as a Short. Check the duration before you begin the upload, especially if the file has been edited on another device.
There is no requirement to buy a camera, microphone, light or editing application for the basic workflow. A phone is enough to record in the YouTube app. Additional equipment can help in particular situations, such as a tripod for a hands-free demonstration, but it is not part of YouTube's required creation process.
YouTube changed how it counts Shorts views on 31 March 2025. A view can count when a Short starts or replays, without a minimum watch-time requirement. YouTube still distinguishes this from Engaged views, which remain the metric used for certain YouTube Partner Programme eligibility and Shorts ad revenue-sharing purposes. Treat the two figures as different measurements rather than interchangeable results.
Choose the route that fits your starting point
There are two straightforward ways to make a Short. Choose the one that matches the material you already have rather than forcing every idea through the same workflow.
| Route | Best when | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Record in the Shorts camera | You want to film and make basic changes in the YouTube app | Camera framing, available effects, audio choices and whether the app tools meet your needs |
| Upload a prepared video | You already have footage or prefer editing on a phone or computer | Square or vertical format, duration up to three minutes, audio rights and trimming |
| Edit an existing public upload into a Short | You own a suitable public YouTube video and want to reuse one section | Public visibility, copyright claims and whether the excerpt works within up to 60 seconds |
Recording in the app is useful when the idea depends on the moment. You can capture several segments, review them and save a draft without first moving files between applications. Uploading a prepared file is more suitable when you need careful cuts, captions, a planned voiceover or a particular layout.
A third option is available for some videos you have already uploaded. Open the watch page for an eligible public video, choose Remix, then Edit into a Short. YouTube allows you to select up to 60 seconds from the source and add creative elements before uploading. The resulting Short links back to the original video.
This reuse option does not apply to every upload. Private or unlisted videos are not eligible, and a video with a third-party copyright claim may not offer the option. If Edit into a Short is missing, check the video's sampling setting and YouTube's current instructions rather than treating the missing button as an app fault.
Record or upload a video
Record in the YouTube app
Sign in to the YouTube app and tap Create, then Short. The exact placement or appearance of labels can change between devices and product updates, but the Shorts camera is the mobile route described by YouTube.
Hold or tap Capture to start recording and use it again to stop. You can record more than one segment, which is useful when you want to remove pauses without editing a continuous file later. The camera also provides a duration control, so decide how much material you need before recording several takes.
Once you have captured the clips, review them. YouTube's available tools can include music, filters and effects, along with undo and redo controls. If you are not ready to publish, save a draft rather than leaving the app and hoping the unfinished version is retained.
Tap Done when you are ready to move from the clip review to the preview and creative-editing screen. Depending on the current app version, you may be able to add text, sounds, text-to-speech and other effects. Keep the changes readable on a small screen. A caption close to the edge can be hidden by the app interface or be difficult to read on some phones.
Upload from your phone
If the video is already saved on your phone, start the Shorts creation flow and choose the upload option rather than recording. Select the prepared file, then use the available trimming and editing controls before entering the video's details.
Before continuing, check that the file is square or vertical and no longer than three minutes. Watch the opening and closing seconds after trimming. A file can meet the format requirements while still beginning with an accidental camera movement, a blank frame or a sentence that starts halfway through.
Upload from a computer
You can also use YouTube Studio on a computer. Select Create, then Upload videos, and choose the prepared file. The file should be square or vertical and up to three minutes long. Complete the details in Studio before publishing.
This route is practical if your source material was edited on a computer or transferred from a camera. It also gives you a larger screen for checking the title, audience setting and visibility. The finished video still needs to follow the same format, duration and copyright requirements as a mobile upload.
If your eventual plan is to combine short clips with longer channel programming, keep the original files organised. Guidance on organising video files for a 24/7 YouTube stream covers a different publishing format, but the same habit of using clear filenames and keeping a clean master file makes later reuse less error-prone.
Check the format and length
Format problems are easier to fix before upload than after publication. Open the finished file in your device's gallery or media player and check these points:
- The frame is square or vertical, not a wide export with large empty areas above and below.
- The total duration is no more than three minutes.
- The main subject is visible without relying on a crop that has not yet been applied.
- Text, faces and important product details are not pressed against the edges.
- The audio can be heard clearly on a phone at ordinary listening volume.
YouTube's mobile guidance reviewed for this article lists a maximum upload resolution of 1080p. Exporting at a higher setting is not necessary for this workflow, and you should avoid assuming that a larger file will produce a better Short. A smaller, correctly framed file is often simpler to transfer and review.
A vertical video is commonly prepared for a phone held upright, while a square video has equal width and height. The choice is not only technical. A vertical frame suits a person standing, a close-up demonstration or a talking-head explanation. A square frame can suit a graphic, a product laid out on a table or material that needs more room at the sides.
If the source is wide, do not crop automatically without checking the result. The crop may remove a speaker's face, the edge of a document or the text in a local-news graphic. Reframe the important area first, then watch the complete export before uploading.
Preview and edit before publishing
The preview is your opportunity to check what a viewer will actually receive, not just whether the file opens. Watch it from the beginning with the sound on, then watch it again with the sound muted. The second pass shows whether the message still makes sense through captions, visible actions or on-screen text.
Trim pauses at the start and end, but do not remove context that makes the clip understandable. If a devotional explanation begins with a question, keep enough of the question for the answer to make sense. If a shop demonstration shows an item, let the viewer see what is being demonstrated before adding a call to action.
Use text sparingly and check its timing. Text that appears for a fraction of a second is difficult to read, while a caption left on screen for the entire clip may cover the subject. Read the words on a phone rather than judging them only in a desktop preview.
You can add effects, filters, sounds and text-to-speech where those tools are available. They are optional. An effect should clarify the clip or suit its purpose; it should not conceal a poor crop, a missing explanation or an audio problem.
If your Short contains speech, listen for background noise, clipped words and changes in volume between segments. For music, listen for whether it covers the voice. If the sound is unclear, solve that in the edit or record again. Publishing first and hoping that viewers will increase their volume does not repair missing words.
Keep a copy of the final file outside the YouTube app if it matters to you. A draft is useful during the creation process, but it is not a substitute for keeping your own source and finished export. This also makes it easier to correct a title, adjust a crop or prepare the same idea for another permitted use.
Choose audio you are allowed to use
You cannot assume that a song is available simply because it can be found online. Copyrighted music or video included in an upload must be approved for your use. Without the necessary permission, the upload can receive a Content ID claim, and a valid copyright takedown can remove the video and may result in a copyright strike.
The safer starting point is to use audio supplied through YouTube's Shorts tools where it is offered for the selected workflow, or to use music for which you have the necessary rights. YouTube's Shorts music guidance says that the available duration can vary by track. Some tracks may be available for up to 90 seconds within a three-minute Short, but that does not mean every track has the same allowance.
A separate mobile upload instruction refers to audio selected from its library being limited to 15-second clips. Because YouTube's help pages describe different upload and creation contexts, do not apply that figure to every Short or every track. Check the duration shown on screen for the audio you select.
YouTube also identifies royalty-free music from the YouTube Audio Library as music that will not receive a Content ID claim. That statement concerns the music supplied under that library's terms. Read the current licence information and keep any required records, particularly if your video includes other music, footage or spoken material from someone else.
Do not remove a song from a streaming service, another video or a social-media post and assume that the copy is cleared. Buying or streaming access to a track is not automatically the same as receiving permission to synchronise it with your video. If you are unsure, replace the music or obtain permission before uploading.
For current details, check YouTube's music eligibility guidance and the official instructions for creating Shorts. The available tools and terms can change, so an older tutorial may not describe the options shown in your account.
Add details and upload
When the preview is ready, tap Next in the mobile workflow, or continue through the details screens in YouTube Studio on desktop. Add a clear title that tells the viewer what the Short contains. YouTube's listed maximum for a title is 100 characters, so put the important words near the beginning rather than hiding the subject at the end.
Set the privacy level deliberately. You can choose whether the video is public, private or unlisted where those settings are available. Do not treat the default as a decision made for you. YouTube's guidance notes that creators aged 13 to 17 default to private, while creators aged 18 or older default to public, and the creator can change the setting.
Select whether the video is made for kids. This is an audience setting, not a statement about whether children might happen to watch the video. Consider what the video is directed towards and follow YouTube's current instructions when making the selection.
On mobile, choose Upload Short to publish or save the work as a draft. In Studio, review the details and publish when you are satisfied with the visibility and audience settings. Wait for the upload and processing steps to complete before closing the page or app.
After publication, open the watch page and check the public result. Confirm that the crop, title, audio and visibility are correct. If you are building a wider YouTube presence, keep an eye on the difference between views and Engaged views rather than judging the Short from one number alone. The guide to reading live-stream analytics concerns continuous broadcasts, but its broader lesson also applies here: identify what each metric measures before drawing a conclusion.
Titles and descriptions should describe the actual video rather than promise an outcome. The guide to better titles and descriptions for a YouTube live stream is written for live channels, but the same practical approach helps when you name a Short: tell the viewer what they will see, avoid claims the clip cannot support, and use wording that remains accurate after publication.
If your publishing routine later grows into a continuous channel, keep Shorts as separate source material unless you have checked the rights and presentation for the longer format. A video playlist for an always-on YouTube stream may solve a different problem, but it does not change the need to check each video's music, footage and audience settings.
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FAQ
Can I make a YouTube Short on a computer?
Yes. In YouTube Studio, select Create, then Upload videos, and choose a square or vertical file up to three minutes long. You can also make a Short in the YouTube mobile app using the Shorts camera.
Can I use any song in a YouTube Short?
No. You need permission or another valid basis to use copyrighted music. YouTube's Shorts audio tools and Audio Library can provide options, but check the allowance shown for the selected track and the current music-eligibility guidance.
What should I do if my video is wide?
Reframe or crop it before uploading so that the important subject remains visible in a square or vertical frame. Watch the complete export on a phone, because an automatic crop may remove a face, caption or product detail.
Why does my Short show different view and Engaged view numbers?
They are different metrics. Since 31 March 2025, YouTube has counted a Shorts view when the video starts or replays without a minimum watch-time requirement, while Engaged views remain a distinct measure used for certain Partner Programme and Shorts revenue-sharing purposes.