YouTube · Data study
How Long Should a YouTube Video Be? 111,322 Videos Compared Within Their Own Channels
of channels got more views on their longer videos
By Elijah Westbrook · 2026-10-20 · 2 min read
Longer usually wins, but only a little. In 67% of 3,421 channels, the longer half of their videos got more views than the shorter half, about 22% more at the median. Videos under 8 minutes did worst. Videos over 30 minutes did slightly better than the channel’s typical video.
1.00 = the channel’s typical video · n = videos
The shortest long videos did the worst
Videos between 3 and 8 minutes got about 12% fewer views than their own channel’s typical video. Videos from 12 to 30 minutes were right at typical. Videos over 30 minutes were about 4% above.
If your videos keep landing under 8 minutes, that’s the one length band that clearly underperformed. You also need 8+ minutes for mid-roll ads.
Small channels saw a weaker effect
Under 10,000 subscribers, the longer half won in only 58% of channels. That’s barely more than a coin flip.
Don’t stretch a short idea into a long video because a chart says longer wins. Length helps when the idea deserves it: a complete version, a full story or a deep breakdown.
Big channels show the same thing louder
MrBeast’s videos between 15 and 30 minutes got about twice the views per day of his shorter ones. And when we compared viral and normal scripts from the same creators, the viral one was longer in 64% of pairs.
If you have a complete version of an idea, make the complete version.
From my channel
How I did it
We took the recent long-form uploads of 3,421 channels (111,322 videos), and compared each video’s views with its own channel’s median, so a big channel never gets compared with a small one.
The limits
This shows what longer videos have in common, not proof that adding minutes causes views. Longer videos may also be better ideas.
Questions
What is the best length for a YouTube video?
In this data, 30 to 60 minute videos did best relative to their channel (1.04×), and 3 to 8 minute videos did worst (0.88×). The difference between the middle lengths was small.
Are hour-long videos the new meta?
Not really. Videos over 60 minutes did about 4% better than typical, the same as 30 to 60 minutes. Long helps a little, it isn’t magic.
Is 8 minutes still the magic length?
Under 8 minutes was the only band that clearly underperformed, and 8 minutes is also when mid-roll ads become available.