YouTube has rolled out several significant updates affecting content creators, with a focus on Shorts categorization and creator tools. Here’s everything you need to know about these important changes:

The New Shorts Definition: Clearing the Air

Starting October 15, 2024, the platform has expanded its definition of Shorts to include videos up to three minutes in length. However, this clarification comes with important caveats. YouTube explicitly states that vertical videos under three minutes uploaded before October 15 will maintain their current status as VODs or long-form videos. Only new uploads meeting specific criteria will be categorized as Shorts going forward.

As part of this update, creators will gain more control over their content presentation through the ability to customize their Shorts thumbnails directly within the main YouTube app.

Enhanced Creator Tools and Features

YouTube is also introducing several creator-friendly improvements. Channel membership management is becoming more streamlined with the expansion of custom badge uploads. In addition, creators can now tag both short and long-form content as sponsored across web and mobile interfaces, streamlining the disclosure process.

In summary, YouTube is clearly focused on making content creation and management more efficient across all devices, while ensuring proper categorization of different video formats.

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