Your Guide to Marketing Trends and Tech
In YouTube, long-form is the new norm
Ah, the Internet… Just when you think you have it figured out, it pulls off a new trend that takes your whole belief system for a ride. Case in point: for the last few years, we’ve all been living under the rule that “the shorter, the better” when it comes to uploading video content.
However, recent numbers from YouTube, which once catered to snack-sized attention spans, point to an unexpected rise in the 20-minute video. So, what’s behind this “strength in length” idea driving content creators to rewrite the playbook? Let’s take a closer look.
The long game: what’s behind the 20-minute YouTube video trend?
According to Tubular Labs, which specializes in social video, the number of 20-plus minute-long video creators worldwide who upload to YouTube each month has increased from 1.3 million in July 2022 to 8.5 million in June 2024, a massive 550% increment in just under two years.
There are many reasons behind the spike, but two stand out: the devices through which people are watching YouTube and audiences craving longer, more engaging content.
Youtube, as seen on TV
In a recent video titled “Why longer videos are becoming more commonplace on YouTube,” Digiday’s executive editor of video and audio Tim Peterson, explored the 20-plus-minute craze with the help of several video influencers, such as Charlotte Dobre and MissDarcei.
For starters, Peterson points out that consumer habits around YouTube have shifted heavily in recent times. “People aren’t just watching YouTube online or even on their phones”, Peterson says. People are increasingly watching it on TV screens to the point that they spend more time watching Youtube than any other streaming service.”
The numbers back up the statement. According to YouTube’s internal figures, “nearly half (45%) of all YouTube viewership takes place on TVs, according to internal figures, up from below 30% in 2020.” Nielsen’s annual viewing report also points in the same direction: YouTube was the top streaming service in the U.S. in 2024, with “8.6% of viewing on television screens.” Just for comparison, Netflix saw 7.9% of TV usage.
As a result, YouTube has been encouraging creators to produce content that’s more amenable to watch on TV screens, focusing on technical aspects like filming at higher resolutions. “We all made the switch to shoot in 4K and export in 4K,” explained Dobre, who, despite having over 2 million subscribers, admitted she has reduced the number of videos she uploads in favor of posting longer. “It’s been a game changer for me.”
Audiences longing for long-form
Numbers and technical features, however, only tell part of the story. Creators contacted by Digiday tend to agree that audiences are craving longer content. “I had been seeing in the comments that people wanted longer videos,” said Dobre. At the same time, MissDarcei, who has close to 3.5 million subscribers on her YouTube channel, suggested a relation between the length of the content and her follower’s engagement: “It feels like you’re connecting to your audience more when you’re doing long-form so I think that’s why creators want to go back to it.”
The possibility of engaging deeper with audiences has even attracted TikTok creators to long-form content, an idea that seemed impossible not so long ago. As Tubular Labs points out, on TikTok, data reveals that longer videos won the highest average views per video. As a result, the platform now allows one-hour videos, and Instagram is currently testing a 10-minute length for reels.
The lowdown
Even though long-format videos are making a comeback, creators should always remember that, as famous songwriter Stephen Sondheim once said, content dictates form and not the other way around. Understanding the specifics and characteristics of your channel and platform of choice is a must, but determining what makes your content unique should always be the guiding light in your content strategy.
