TikTok video length (and Shorts and Reels)
Plan from the platform, not the other way round: open the upload screen of the app you will post to, note the longest video it accepts today, then work back to segments: a segment is 15 or 30 seconds, so three minutes is 12 segments of 15 seconds or 6 of 30.
What the official pages say (read November 2, 2026)
| Platform | What the page says | Official page |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube Shorts | Shorts can be up to three minutes long. Videos uploaded on or after October 15, 2024 with a square or vertical aspect ratio up to three minutes are categorised as Shorts. The upload page lists the same two conditions: up to 3 minutes, square or vertical. | Understand three-minute YouTube Shorts Upload YouTube Shorts |
| Instagram Reels | You can record and edit videos up to 20 minutes, as one clip or several clips that add up to that. Reels over 3 minutes won't be recommended to new audiences. The reel size page gives the shape: between 1.91:1 and 9:16. | Record a reel on Instagram Reel size and aspect ratios |
| TikTok | Not stated here. We could not read the help-centre pages on November 2, 2026, and we do not repeat figures second-hand. Check the upload screen in the app, or the help centre while signed in. | TikTok Help Center |
One small thing worth knowing about quoting limits: on the day we checked, the search results page of Instagram's help centre still showed a one-line summary of the reels article saying 3 minutes, while the article itself said 20. Read the article, not the blurb, and read it again before a launch.
The part that does not change: the shape
Whatever the length, short-video feeds are vertical. YouTube's Shorts rule is square or vertical; Instagram's range runs from 1.91:1 down to 9:16; TikTok's feed is a phone screen held upright. A 9:16 video is inside all three. In SceneMixer the shape is chosen once, in Step 1 (9:16 Portrait or 16:9 Landscape), and cannot be changed after you continue, so choose vertical before the script is read. Vertical or landscape · Posting to TikTok, Shorts and Reels.
What lengths SceneMixer makes
Lengths are built from segments, and a segment is one generation of up to 15 seconds, or up to 30 seconds on the tiers that take long takes:
| What you make | Length | How it is built |
|---|---|---|
| An ad | 15, 30 or 60 seconds, plus an end card of a few seconds | One, two or four 15-second segments, joined with the end card |
| A Short Drama episode | Up to 240 seconds | Up to 60 segments of 15 or 30 seconds |
| A TV Series episode | Up to 300 seconds | The same, with a slower open allowed |
| A Film | No set limit | Sequences, each made and paid for on its own |
Two consequences. A Short Drama episode can run to 240 seconds, which is longer than the three minutes YouTube's page allows for a Short, so for Shorts keep an episode to 180 seconds or less, or cut it in two. And an ad is a few seconds longer than its label because the end card is added after the segments. Choosing script length and cost · Ad length, format and quality.
Counting back from a limit
| Target length | Segments of 15 s | Segments of 30 s | A fit for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 seconds | 1 | — | One beat: a hook, an ad, a teaser |
| 30 seconds | 2 | 1 | A small scene or a one-product ad |
| 60 seconds | 4 | 2 | A whole mini story or a four-part ad |
| 90 seconds | 6 | 3 | A short episode with a turn and a hook |
| 3 minutes | 12 | 6 | The longest Short on the YouTube page above |
Video is priced by the second, so cost follows length: 10 credits a second on the default tier plus 1 credit a second to join. Fifteen- or thirty-second segments cost the same per second; a 30-second segment is just a bigger retake if it misses. 15 or 30 seconds · AI video cost calculator.
Before you post
- Check the limit on the day. Open the upload screen of the app. It is the only source that is current.
- Post the downloaded original, not a share link; the download is the full-quality file. Original or play version.
- Turn on the platform's AI label. Free accounts also carry a small SceneMixer label in the corner of the video. The AI label switch.
- Open on the hook. Length matters less than the first seconds. Hooks and cliffhangers.
Make it in SceneMixer, start to finish
- Script: paste your own on Upload Script, or write the brief above in AI Create and let it draft the episodes.
- Step 1: Type Short Drama; Scene Style Neon Nights, Campus Youth; Costume Style Streetwear, School Uniform; Visual Style Digital HD, Soft Glow; Target Region; dialogue language; 9:16 Portrait. Then read the script.
- Step 2: Draw the two leads and the one or two places; a 60-second episode is four segments. The first 15 setup images on an account are free.
- Storyboard: generate episode 1 first (free on your first drama) and read it before you render anything. One place per segment.
- Video: render on the default tier at 10 credits a second, fix single shots instead of whole episodes, then put the episode together and post.
| Platform | Length (official page, November 2, 2026) | Shape |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube Shorts | Up to 3 minutes | Square or vertical |
| Instagram Reels | Up to 20 minutes recorded; over 3 minutes not recommended to new audiences | 1.91:1 to 9:16 |
| TikTok | Not quoted: check the upload screen | Vertical, 9:16 |
| SceneMixer | Segments of 15 or 30 seconds; Short Drama episodes up to 240 seconds | 9:16 or 16:9 |
FAQ
How long can a TikTok video be?
TikTok publishes its limit on its own help pages and in the upload screen, and changes it often. We could not read the help centre on November 2, 2026, so this page does not quote a number; check the app before you post.
How long can a YouTube Short be?
Up to three minutes, with a square or vertical aspect ratio, according to YouTube's help pages read on November 2, 2026.
How long can an Instagram Reel be?
Instagram's help page says you can record and edit up to 20 minutes, and that reels over 3 minutes will not be recommended to new audiences.
What length should my AI video be?
As long as the story needs and no longer than the platform accepts: 15 seconds for one beat, 30 to 60 for a small story, up to 3 minutes for a full short.
Can I make a video longer than 60 seconds?
Yes. A Short Drama episode runs up to 240 seconds, and a series continues across episodes.
How many segments make a 3-minute video?
Twelve segments of 15 seconds or six of 30 seconds.
Does a longer video cost more?
Yes, by the second: 10 credits a second on the default tier plus 1 credit a second to join.
Which aspect ratio should I choose?
9:16 Portrait for short-video feeds. It is chosen once in Step 1 and cannot be changed afterwards.
Why does this page not give a TikTok number?
Because we could not verify one on the platform's own page, and we do not repeat figures from third-party lists. A wrong limit is worse than none.
Pick the length, then the segments
Count back from the limit in your upload screen.
Updated November 2, 2026