YouTube Shorts are no longer limited to 60 seconds. For standard YouTube channels, a square or vertical video up to three minutes long can be categorized as a Short when it is uploaded to YouTube. That makes the old 60-second rule incomplete for new uploads.
Loomly supports native scheduling for YouTube videos and Shorts. Create the video, connect the right YouTube channel, complete its YouTube settings in Loomly, and schedule the post. YouTube determines whether an eligible upload is categorized as a Short.
What qualifies as a YouTube Short?
YouTube says that, for standard channels, videos uploaded on or after October 15, 2024 are categorized as Shorts when they meet both of these conditions:
- They are no longer than three minutes.
- They use a square or vertical aspect ratio.
A 1:1 square video qualifies, as does a vertical video. A 9:16 frame is a common vertical format, but it is not the rule that determines Shorts eligibility. If you want to keep a video out of the Shorts category, upload it in a wider format such as 16:9 instead.
For official artist channels, YouTube applies a different date to the three-minute classification rule. Check YouTube's current Help Center guidance if that applies to your channel.
Important copyright rule for Shorts over one minute
A Short that runs for more than one minute and has an active third-party copyright claim can be blocked globally on YouTube. It will not be playable or eligible for monetization until the claim is resolved. Before scheduling a longer Short, make sure you have permission to use every audio and visual element in the upload.
How to schedule a YouTube Short in Loomly
- Connect the YouTube channel. In the calendar where you want to publish, open Calendar Settings, go to Social Accounts, and connect YouTube. Loomly requires you to be an owner of the YouTube channel you connect. Each Loomly calendar can connect one account for each social platform, so use a separate calendar if you need to publish to another YouTube channel.
- Create a post and select YouTube. Open Post Builder, add YouTube as a channel, and attach the video.
- Check the Short format. Confirm that the video is square or vertical and no longer than three minutes if you want YouTube to classify it as a Short. Do not rely on an old 60-second cutoff.
- Fine-tune the YouTube details. Add a title and description. In Advanced Settings, add tags if needed and set options such as the audience setting, license, embedding, and subscriber notifications.
- Save, review, and schedule. Save the post, review it in Post View, then approve or schedule it for the connected YouTube channel.
After YouTube publishes the video, check YouTube Studio to confirm its classification and settings. This is especially useful for videos between one and three minutes, because YouTube applies the Shorts classification based on the uploaded video.
Plan the Short before you edit
A Short has limited time, but it still needs one clear job. Decide what viewers should understand, see, or do by the end of the video before you start cutting footage. Build the opening around that point, then remove anything that delays it.
Shorts do not have to be entirely new ideas. You can adapt material from a longer video, a product demonstration, a customer question, an event, or an internal process. The important part is to make the short version complete on its own rather than simply cutting the first three minutes from a longer recording.
YouTube Shorts ideas to try
- Behind the scenes: Show a step in your process, a setup, an outtake, or how a team prepares for an event.
- Brief tutorials: Demonstrate one task, answer one question, or explain one feature from start to finish.
- Product context: Show a product in use, clarify a common point of confusion, or explain how to choose between options.
- Event updates: Share a practical detail before, during, or after an event, launch, or announcement.
- Customer-created material: With permission, share a customer demonstration, testimonial clip, or question that helps explain a real use case.
Keep the production simple and deliberate
Use captions when they help the video remain understandable without sound. Make any on-screen text large enough to read on a phone. Keep the subject visible in a square or vertical crop, and preview the final file before scheduling it.
For music, use audio you created, licensed, or are otherwise allowed to use. YouTube's music rules can vary by track and duration, so review the current YouTube guidance before using copyrighted audio in a Short, particularly one longer than one minute.
Schedule the right format
Use Shorts when the idea fits a square or vertical video of up to three minutes. Use a wider long-form upload when the content needs more time or should not be categorized as a Short. In Loomly, keep the YouTube title, description, audience setting, and scheduled time with the video so the post is ready for review before it is published.
