YouTube is making a change to its Shorts feature that has apparently come highly requested.

Just like TikTok did, and just like Reels did, YouTube Shorts are going to become a little less short soon. The company announced yesterday that its short video feature will be increasing its maximum length from 60 seconds to three minutes.

From October 15th, creators will be able to upload Shorts that are three minutes in length if they wish to. According to YouTube, this time limit extension was highly requested by its users. Since YouTube Shorts is the company’s answer to TikTok, it makes sense to make a direct comparison here. Currently, users can upload videos to TikTok that are a maximum of 10 minutes in length, with TikTok increasing the limit steadily over time.

YouTube is also rolling out a new template feature that allows creators to use the format of other Shorts, making it easier to match clips with trending sounds from other videos. This is similar to TikTok’s preset video styles, where users can customise clips based on existing templates. While this speeds up the process of joining trends or mimicking popular editing styles, it can lead to a lot of similar-looking content. YouTube’s template feature, available through the “remix” button, resembles Instagram Reels’ function for copying editing choices with ease.

These new tools should help independent artists who want to grow their presence on YouTube without needing extensive video production knowledge. The focus remains on creativity and connecting with your audience, not on having the most polished content.

But, with TikTok existing, do we really need Shorts? While platforms like TikTok and Instagram are popular for short-form content, YouTube Shorts brings its own set of advantages. For one, YouTube is already a major platform for music discovery, with millions of users actively searching for new songs and artists. By tapping into YouTube Shorts, musicians can cross-promote their longer videos and music catalogue, creating a cohesive online presence.

As an independent artist, now is the time to make the most of YouTube Shorts’ new 3-minute limit. Whether you’re sharing your latest release, promoting a live show, or simply interacting with your fans, the extra time gives you more freedom to create meaningful, engaging content. Plus, with the addition of templates, making videos has never been easier.

Get your music on YouTube’s content ID system with RouteNote, and start earning for every time your song is used in a Short.