YouTube Shorts vs Long Videos 2025 USA Stats

What content should you post on YouTube? Due to the current popularity of YouTube Shorts, this question is becoming increasingly common. Some people believe that with the advent of shorts, long videos have ceased to play such an important role. Others, on the contrary, do not understand why YouTube, which is the capital of long videos, has introduced the short video format. 

Today, we will make YouTube video length comparison and find out which format is best. Read on to learn about the long form content benefits and the short form content performance 🚀

YouTube shorts vs. long videos

Now we will compare “YouTube shorts vs. long videos.” Let’s take a look at each format and see what is relevant today.

YouTube Shorts

YouTube Shorts are short videos in vertical format that last up to 60 seconds. They are designed for user scrolling and organized in a feed. The viewer scrolls through one video after another and, let’s say, “gets stuck for hours.” 

Their distinctive feature is a separate space in the YouTube app. It’s their own territory, where they reign supreme 😃. The stream is endless and consists of fresh content. Thanks to their short format, these videos often go viral. In other words, it’s easier to gain popularity with YouTube Shorts than with long videos. We wrote about how to gain 1,000 subscribers with YouTube Shorts in another article. But you can’t fit enough information into long videos, so they can only be used to attract attention, make announcements, etc.

You can also monetize your Shorts. Because these videos can quickly gain popularity, creators can achieve good monetization faster.

How to increase the short form content performance:

• Use SEO keywords that are relevant to the video’s topic.
• Add trending hashtags.
• Add hooks at the beginning of the video to grab the user’s attention from the first seconds.
• Try to make your content dynamic and vivid. Add interesting transitions, sound effects, subtitles, etc. Audience retention statistics directly depend on this.
• Follow trends (for example, through Google Trends) and look for top topics in your niche. Trends increase the short form content performance, and this is obvious.
• Add trending music.
• Don’t forget to include a call to action and encourage users to leave comments.
• YouTube Shorts analytics are important here. Keep track of statistics and find the time when most of your audience is online. You can estimate this by eye and think logically about when most people scroll through their feed. For example, on weekdays, this usually happens after 6 p.m., when people return home from work. Or very early before work. On weekends, it’s mostly in the morning or at lunchtime, as well as later in the evening. However, these are all relative indicators. In this situation, it’s best to test different approaches. Post on different days at different times. See when there is more activity. However, there is one thing to consider: many say that all this fuss about finding the perfect time is a waste of time that will not yield any results. And you know, they are right in a way. Because truly high-quality and interesting content will go viral regardless of what time it was posted. So first focus on quality and other important things, and only then on YouTube Shorts analytics and time testing.
• How often should you post Shorts? Everything works on a similar principle here as on TikTok. Try to post videos every day or just a lot during the week. To do this, it’s best to think through your strategy and shoot videos in advance, because you’re unlikely to be able to record something new every day. Frequent posting will push you into recommendations, users will constantly see you in recommendations, and this way you will gain recognition.

What to shoot for YouTube Shorts?

Since shorts are not suitable for posting large amounts of information, as in long videos, you can use them for other purposes. For example:

• Short humorous videos to get into recommendations more often = increased recognition.
• Advertising long content on your channel. Make it in the form of announcements to motivate viewers to go to your channel and watch the long video.

Long videos on YouTube: long form content benefits

Long videos are the format that has made YouTube popular for a long time. That’s how it all started. Bloggers are used to recording various challenges, conversational videos with different stories, educational content, and so on. Such videos can last much longer than shorts. Even several hours. This is a chance to connect with your audience and really reach a new level of closeness. 

Long videos allow you to reveal your idea in more detail. They create an impression of friendship between the blogger and the viewer. Perhaps you have a favorite blogger whom you watch every day after a hard day’s work. They are like a friend with whom you drink tea and have heartfelt conversations. Or think back to when you were younger. Remember how you enjoyed the various challenges and funny videos that bloggers constantly recorded. Such content helps viewers find solace and entertainment. It motivates many and shows them that anything is possible. Many people share their experiences in detail and talk about how they got started. They prove that the main thing is to start, and then it will work out. Videos like “Spend a day with me” are very popular. You show your daily routine. How you get ready to go about your business, what you eat and how you prepare your breakfast, how you choose your outfit for the day, and what you do during the day. This format is interesting because, again, it motivates. In such videos, bloggers often share life advice and so on. People love this content because many feel that their lives lack excitement, their routine has become tedious, and their days are dull and uninteresting. After watching such videos, you want to get out of bed and put your life in order. You realize that you need to act here and now, not on Monday.

How to optimize and monetize long YouTube videos?

We made YouTube video length comparison. We see that both formats are great, but 

different approaches should be applied to them. Creating shorts is different because it is a format of short videos that usually do not require a large clear structure, unlike long ones.

Audience retention statistics for long videos increase with proper interaction with the viewer. And proper interaction depends on a good plan: 

• Introduction. The first 15-20 seconds are your time to retain the viewer and get them interested in watching further. You can use clips with the most interesting moments of the video, mix them up and make the situation a little, so to speak, clickbait. Because intros like, “Hi! I’m Sasha and I’m 25. I’m from Lviv and I film my life. Today I’m going to tell you about how I spend my day,” etc., unfortunately, doesn’t grab people’s attention. As sad as it may be, most people aren’t interested in who you are, where you’re from, etc. They are interested, but only when the user has had a great experience with your content. Then they will visit your profile and want to learn more about you. We already have an article about what videos to shoot on YouTube. It talks about introductory videos that tell subscribers who you are and what you do.
• Sections and timestamps. If the video is very long and informative, divide it into sections and add timestamps. Sometimes users come for specific information and it will be more convenient for them to go straight to the moment they need, rather than watching 20 minutes of useless content.
• Enable monetization. There is a better chance of getting paid for long videos, as they can accommodate more commercial breaks.
• SEO keywords in the description. Create long descriptions with keywords, and don’t forget to add them to the title. This way, your videos will be the first to appear in the search feed for a particular query.

How often should you post long videos on YouTube?

In the case of Shorts, you can see that more is better. But with long videos, this is not the case. It is enough to post 1–2 times a week. The main thing here is quality. Creating long content takes more time, so shooting every day is definitely not an option. That is why it is important to combine long video and short formats. There is no best format, they are different in themselves and complement each other. 

What to film on YouTube? 

The following types of content are best suited for long videos:

• Product reviews. For example, you have favorite cosmetics or other things that you simply adore. A great idea would be to record a video recommendation where you share your impressions of a particular product. You can talk about how you came across it, what makes it special, and why you like it. 
• Vlogs and stories. This is a very common format that can be adapted to many life situations. It can be a video about how you spend your day. Or maybe you are going on a trip, which is a great opportunity to record an interesting vlog. 
• Deep, friendly conversations about life and experiences (or even psychology). As we mentioned, people often perceive these videos as a conversation with a friend. Many people need comfort right now. Some are going through a difficult period in their lives and need to hear the right words. You can bring up topics like self-esteem, fulfillment, romantic relationships, and so on. These are issues that almost everyone has faced. By sharing your experiences and advice, you’re not just gaining an audience, you’re helping people. Then you become more than just a blogger. You are a soulmate to many and can help thousands of people get back on their feet after hard times. 
• Series. This is certainly not an easy task, but the format is very effective. Sometimes it can be cringeworthy, let’s face it. However, it is very addictive for viewers. They wait for new episodes and wonder what will happen to the characters next.

In summary

YouTube shorts vs long videos – who won? No one 😉 Friendship won. Both formats are cool. They are just different and are used for different purposes. They complement each other, and that’s the whole point. Shorts help you gain an audience faster and build your channel’s recognition. With their help, you can promote your long-form content and engage users. Long videos are the foundation of YouTube, and they’re not going anywhere. It’s no coincidence that YouTube became so popular thanks to long videos. They allow you to expand on your ideas in more detail and connect with your audience better.