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To make your first YouTube Short, open the YouTube app, tap Create → Short, record or select a square or vertical video, review it, set its title, audience and privacy, then tap Upload Short. You can also upload a finished video through YouTube Studio on a computer. A phone is enough to begin.
Choose how you’ll make your Short
There are two straightforward routes. Recording in the YouTube app keeps capture and basic editing together. If you prefer to edit elsewhere, prepare a video and upload the saved file from your phone or through YouTube Studio on a computer. Either way, check the format and music rights before publishing.
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- Record in the app: Best when you want to capture clips and add available sounds, text or effects in one workflow.
- Upload a finished video: Useful when you have already edited a square or vertical video. You can trim it in the mobile upload flow or complete its details in YouTube Studio.
YouTube says you do not need special equipment to get started; you can record, edit and upload with a phone. YouTube Shorts upload tips.
Record and publish a Short in the YouTube app
- Open the YouTube app and sign in. Tap Create, then Short. Button labels and screen layout may change, so follow the current app interface if yours differs.
- Record your video. Hold the Capture button to record, or tap to start and stop. The creation flow supports multiple segments and includes a duration control.
- Review and edit the clips. Remove or restore the previous segment if needed. Add optional sounds, text-to-speech, text, filters or effects using the available editor.
- Tap Next. Add a title, then choose the privacy setting and audience designation. The Android upload guide states that the title can be up to 100 characters. Choose whether the video is made for kids accurately; this is an audience designation, not simply a setting for whether children might watch it. See YouTube’s Android Shorts upload instructions.
- Publish or save it for later. Tap Upload Short to publish, or Save draft to return to it later.
You can also start from an existing square or vertical video saved on your phone: select it in the app’s Shorts creation flow, trim it if needed, add optional creative elements, then set the title, privacy and audience before uploading. YouTube’s Shorts creation guide covers the app workflow.
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Upload a finished Short with YouTube Studio on a computer
- Go to YouTube Studio and sign in to your channel.
- Choose Create → Upload videos, then select your video file.
- Complete the video details, including title, audience and privacy settings.
- Review the details and publish when ready.
For a standard channel, the uploaded video must be square or vertical and no longer than three minutes to qualify as a Short under the current rule. YouTube’s computer upload steps are at Upload YouTube Shorts — Computer.
Check the current Shorts format rules
For standard channels, YouTube classifies square or vertical videos up to three minutes long as Shorts when they are uploaded on or after October 15, 2024. That date matters if you are checking an older upload: the current three-minute eligibility does not apply retroactively to standard-channel uploads made before the boundary. Official Artist Channels have separate historical timing, so do not assume the standard-channel date applies to them. See YouTube’s three-minute Shorts guidance.
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Use a square or vertical frame and keep the video within the applicable length limit. The eligibility rule is about the video’s shape, duration and upload timing; it does not promise that a video will be recommended or receive a particular number of views.
Review music and copyright before you publish
If you add music to a three-minute Short, use a track available in the Shorts Audio Library and check the permitted duration shown for that track. YouTube says most tracks can be used for up to 90 seconds in a three-minute Short, while some are limited to 60 or 30 seconds. Royalty-free tracks in the YouTube Audio Library are another option.
If you edit outside YouTube and include copyrighted music, footage or other material, make sure it is approved for use on YouTube. Otherwise, the upload may receive a Content ID claim or a valid takedown and copyright strike. A song being available in another app or on another platform does not establish that you have rights to use it on YouTube.
YouTube’s eligibility page describes a policy transition scheduled to begin September 24, 2026 concerning active Content ID claims on Shorts over one minute. Because the date is upcoming as of October 3, 2026 and the policy is time-sensitive, check the live eligibility guidance before publishing a longer Short that uses claimed material.
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Set privacy and audience deliberately
Before uploading, choose whether the Short should be public, private or unlisted, and set its audience designation correctly. YouTube’s default privacy differs by creator age: creators aged 13–17 default to private, while those 18 and older default to public. Do not rely on the default—confirm the setting on each upload, especially when publishing a test video or a draft intended for a limited audience. You can use a private or unlisted test Short to review how the video looks before making it public.
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YouTube’s Shorts view definition changed on March 31, 2025: a view counts when a Short starts to play or replay, with no minimum watch time. “Engaged views” remains available for the previous continued-watching measure. Keep that distinction in mind when interpreting a view count. Details are in YouTube’s Shorts creator guide.
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YouTube suggests trying a test Short and keeping a posting schedule you can sustain; it does not prescribe one universal frequency. Viewers may find Shorts in the Shorts feed, search, the YouTube homepage, channel pages, subscriptions or notifications. No schedule or single tactic guarantees discovery.
Or let it run in the cloud
If your next step is keeping a pre-recorded video live on YouTube around the clock, StreamNeo is a separate option from making and publishing Shorts. Upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live; StreamNeo loops the uploaded video from the cloud, so your computer and home connection do not have to stay on. It supports any uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps at one flat price per slot, automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream, and the first day is free with no card. Monthly pricing is $9.99 per month. It streams to YouTube only and plays uploaded videos, not a live camera feed. Learn more at StreamNeo, or start your free day.
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