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Which videos are better—short or long?

30.10.2025

Size matters when it comes to videos. The size determines how many people will watch the video, become interested in the profile, and subscribe. In this article, we will discuss which videos are better—short or long.

Short videos

Short videos are associated with TikTok. However, other platforms such as Instagram and YouTube have recently begun to introduce similar formats (Reels and YouTube Shorts, respectively).

This category also includes movie trailers, music videos, and advertisements. The optimal length for commercials is up to 1 minute. Less is better. Otherwise, you will not be able to hold the attention of potential customers.

Advantages of short videos

Easy to edit. You don’t need any special production skills or equipment to shoot videos for TikTok, Reels, or YouTube Shorts.

You can shoot and edit videos from your phone. You don’t need a camera or a powerful laptop to install complex, often paid editing software. CupCut is simple and easy to use.

Minimum effort – maximum results. Filming and editing a short video takes less effort than filming and editing a long one. And these videos go viral faster and have a wider reach.

“YouTube Shorts is the perfect tool for beginners. Thanks to 14-second videos alone, the number of subscribers has increased by 199,000,” said blogger Jooj Natu ENG, who has 14.5 million subscribers.

YouTube and Instagram also noted that short videos helped increase the time users spent on their social networks.

What are the disadvantages of short videos?

Limitations. Due to the limited length, you won’t be able to say everything you want to say. Therefore, you will have to highlight the main ideas.

Inability to cover a complex topic. For example, you want to make a guide related to the use of your product or service. Let’s say it’s foreign language courses. It’s impossible to explain complex grammar rules in five minutes. Therefore, you will have to switch to longer formats.

From my experience, I can say that short videos are addictive. But you can’t play them in the background while cooking or doing other household chores.

And before going to bed, it’s better to watch a long horror movie on YouTube or do some meditation than to go on TikTok.

What is the video size for TikTok?

Short videos range from one second to three minutes in length, and less commonly from five to ten minutes. However, this is too long for TikTok, where videos rarely exceed three minutes.

But people spend an average of about 53 minutes on TikTok at a time. We’ve all been there: you go on TikTok for five minutes and end up stuck there for an hour.

The reason for this is that watching short videos gives you a quick dopamine rush. Dopamine is the happiness hormone. It is released when a person feels good. People enjoy watching short videos. Dopamine is released. People watch more. Then they need more and more videos to get the same dose of dopamine. That’s how TikTok is addictive.

Examples of successful short video cases

The most popular video on TikTok is Zack King’s Magic Broomstick. It’s a short video with a surprise ending.

At the beginning of the video, the viewer thinks that the guy in the video is flying on a broomstick. But at the end, it turns out that it is a montage and he was actually riding a skateboard.

This user’s videos often feature montages and optical illusions, and the videos have unexpected endings. This helps to keep the audience’s attention. Another video by this user from the TOP 10 is based on the well-known saying about a glass being half full or half empty.

Zach pours water into a glass and argues that for optimists, the glass is half full, and for pessimists, it is half empty. But for Zach himself, it is a piece of cake. And indeed, at the end, it turns out that the glass was a piece of cake.

Another popular TikToker, Khaby Lame, gives simple answers to complex life hacks.

One of the most liked videos on TikTok is a clip by Filipino singer and TikToker Bella Poarch called “M to the B,” where the girl simply nods her head to the beat of the song.

On YouTube, most of the popular videos are also short. These are mainly clips of well-known songs. For example, one of the most popular videos on YouTube is the clip for the song Despacito. And the first place in terms of views is taken by the famous children’s song about a shark – Little Shark.

As we can see, people watch short videos to relax. For a video to become popular, it must either be a clip for a popular song or something simple, understandable, but not banal.

The popularity of users Zack King and Khaby Lame shows that audiences love something lighthearted and unconventional. The same applies to Bella Poarch’s video. It captivates viewers with the girl’s perfect timing to the song.

Popular YouTube videos are also mostly lighthearted and simple. They don’t make you think about anything. They just give you a dose of dopamine. Turn on your creativity, shoot something lighthearted, and your video will go viral.

Long videos

Videos longer than 10 minutes are considered long. Sometimes videos longer than 5 minutes fall into this category. They are mainly found on YouTube. This category also includes films, TV series, documentaries, cartoons, and anime.

What are the advantages of long videos?

The main advantage of long videos is that they allow you to explore complex topics. If you are filming for business purposes, it is better to use long videos for guides, useful life hacks, and educational videos.

For example, an English language school. To promote it, you can create useful content for English learners. This content could include reviews of English films and TV series.

The second advantage is that long videos work where short ones don’t. For example, some people practice meditation. It’s impossible to condense that into 3 minutes. Others listen to true crime stories, podcasts, scary stories at night, and audiobooks. You can’t shorten those to YouTube Shorts.

Conclusion: long videos are what the audience wants.

What are the disadvantages of long videos?

Long videos are difficult to edit. While a phone is sufficient for shooting short videos, a smartphone, CupCut, and the desire to create content are not enough for creating long videos.

You will need to buy a good computer, install one or, better yet, several video production programs (most of which are paid) and learn how to edit.

Long videos are less likely to be watched to the end. It’s easier to watch a 30-second video than a half-hour one.

More effort means less return. Working on a long video takes a long time, and it’s less likely to go viral.

What are the characteristics of long videos?

Orientation. Short videos are often shot on phones and are horizontal (not always, but frequently), while long videos are vertical.

Videos are not repeated. TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Reels are usually replayed after viewing. Long videos are not.

Length. It is difficult to say how long a YouTube video should be. The minimum length of a video is 5–10 minutes. There is no maximum limit. You can find videos on YouTube that are 6 or 8 hours long. These are usually streams or sounds for sleeping.

Examples of successful long video cases

These are popular films, TV series, and documentaries.

Substance. This film won several awards at the Cannes Film Festival and was included in the list of the best films according to the BBC, Empire, and Rolling Stone. Some found the film disgusting, while others loved it. But no one remained indifferent.

The Ugly Step Sister. This film is often compared to the previous one. Both are about standards of beauty. The Ugly Step Sister is a classic Cinderella story, but a dark one, told from the perspective of Cinderella’s stepsister.

The film offers a new take on an old story. It is the debut work of Norwegian director Emily Blifeldt. She received the Amanda Award at the Norwegian International Film Festival.

“The Porcelain War.” A film about three residents of Kharkiv. Because of the war, they are forced to live under shelling, but art helps them survive difficult times. Nominated for an Oscar.

Of course, a YouTuber, especially a beginner, has fewer resources than a film director. But some techniques can be used.

Tell an old story in a new way, like Emily Bleichfeld. Use storytelling. If you are promoting a brand, tell the story of its creator, the story of the company that produces this brand. Reveal the problem through a person’s story. The main thing is to focus on your target audience.

Combined approach

As we can see, both long and short videos are needed to promote a business. Film everything. Use a combined approach. Post long videos—tutorials, guides—and shoot short videos—advertisements, memes, funny clips.

A good option is to post an excerpt from a long video on YouTube Shorts. Choose the most intriguing one. Add hashtags, an interesting description, and a link to the main video. Done. Viewers will see both the short and long videos and may become interested in you.

How to choose the optimal video length for YouTube and TikTok?

The optimal length of a YouTube video depends on what you are filming. For example, advertisements should be short to keep viewers engaged. It is difficult to say how long an advertisement should be, but ten minutes is too long. Five minutes is also too long.

When it comes to reviews, guides, and tutorials, it’s better to make long videos. How long depends on how deeply you dive into the topic. You can make a ten-minute review of a two-hour movie. You can shoot an hour-and-a-half video reviewing a 224-page book.