How long can TikToks, Reels and Shorts be?
The limits each platform sets, the length each one rewards, and how long yours should be.
First brand read free. No filming.
The short answer
YouTube Shorts can be up to three minutes long. Instagram recommends reels to people who do not follow you only if they are three minutes or less. TikTok accepts uploads up to 60 minutes from TikTok Studio on desktop, and its Creator Rewards Program only pays for videos of at least one minute. The right length is whatever holds viewers to the end.
Updated
Choose your length
- 01
Start short
One idea with one payoff, in the fewest seconds that tell it. Short videos are easier to finish.
- 02
Go past a minute when it pays
On TikTok, for Creator Rewards; anywhere, when the story genuinely needs it.
- 03
Stay under 3 minutes for reach
On Reels for non-followers and on Shorts to remain a Short.
- 04
Let retention decide
Compare average percentage watched by length in each platform’s analytics, then repeat what holds.
The limits
YouTube Shorts: up to 3 minutes
Square or vertical videos up to three minutes are categorised as Shorts since 15 October 2024. Over one minute, a Content ID claim blocks the Short.
Instagram Reels: 3 minutes for reach
Instagram recommends videos to unconnected audiences only when they are “3 minutes or less”.
TikTok: up to 60 minutes
TikTok Studio on desktop accepts videos up to 60 minutes long in 720p or higher, up to 10 GB.
TikTok earnings: 1 minute or more
Creator Rewards only counts videos at least one minute long, and TikTok’s growth advice is to create content longer than a minute.
Length is not a ranking signal by itself
All three platforms weigh how much of a video people watch; a long video people leave loses to a short one they finish.
Hook in the first seconds
TikTok and Instagram both point to the first 3 seconds; on Shorts, viewers who swipe away count against you.
Read next
Your questions, answered
Short answers to what people ask next.
Up to three minutes, in a square or vertical format, since 15 October 2024.
Instagram recommends reels to people who do not follow you only if they are three minutes or less, so keep reels under three minutes for reach.
Up to 60 minutes when uploaded from TikTok Studio on desktop. For Creator Rewards, videos must be at least one minute.
The length people finish. All three platforms weigh how much of a video people watch, so go longer only when the idea needs it or a programme such as TikTok Creator Rewards rewards it.
Yes. Percify makes short videos for your brand with your own face and voice; longer videos cost more credits because talking video is billed per second.