A YouTube Short is a vertical or square short-form video on YouTube. YouTube allows Shorts uploaded after October 15, 2024, to run up to three minutes long. Advice that says Shorts have a 60-second maximum refers to the old limit. YouTube’s current Shorts rules explain the length and shape requirements.
Three minutes is the maximum, not a target. For a narrated explainer Short, explainroo is a free, open-source option that helps an AI coding agent create a video and save it as an MP4.
The three-minute limit has conditions
To qualify under the three-minute rule, a video must be square or vertical and uploaded after October 15, 2024. A horizontal video does not meet the shape requirement, even if it is short.
Copyright rules also apply: YouTube blocks a Short longer than one minute worldwide if it has an active copyright claim, and the Short cannot earn money. A claim is a rights holder’s assertion that a video uses copyrighted material. Check music and other borrowed content before publishing a longer Short; YouTube’s monetization policies describe the consequences.
In a three-minute Short, music from YouTube’s Shorts Audio Library has a separate time limit. Most tracks are available for up to 90 seconds, while some are limited to 60 or 30 seconds. Check a track’s time limit before using it in a longer video.
Choose a length that fits the explanation
A Short can use the full three minutes, but a shorter runtime can make a focused point easier to follow. Industry guidance suggests 15 to 60 seconds as a practical range, with many successful Shorts around 20 to 45 seconds. Use the range as a planning guide. YouTube does not require it, and following it does not guarantee views. Guidance on Shorts length also emphasizes matching the runtime to the content.
For example, a single tip may need only a few sentences. A product walkthrough with several steps may need more time. Cut pauses and repeated points, but give viewers enough time to follow each step.
Make a narrated Short with explainroo
explainroo is a free, open-source kit under the MIT license. The kit works with coding agents including Claude Code, Codex, Pi, OpenCode, and Gemini CLI. Claude Code works best with explainroo. Give the agent a topic and ask it to use explainroo:
Make me a short explainer video about [your topic]. Use explainroo for it: clone, read its AGENTS.md and follow the steps.
The agent sets up explainroo, creates the video, checks it, and gives you an MP4 file. It writes script.md for the narration and scenes.js for the visuals. You can ask the agent to revise the script or scenes if the video runs too long or needs a different emphasis.
For Shorts, explainroo supports a tall video size and word-by-word captions. It also checks scene images for text that is cut off or overlaps, and checks whether the voice misread any words. The voice model narrates in English, and your computer produces the finished video. The coding agent is a separate service and may have its own cost.
