You can make and publish your first YouTube Short with just a phone: record in the YouTube app, or upload a square or vertical video you already made. Review it, add a title, choose its audience and privacy settings, then publish it or save it as a draft. You don’t need special equipment to begin.
Choose how to make your first Short
| Route | Best for | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Record in the YouTube app | Capturing and editing a short video in one place with the app’s available creative tools. | Review the clips and settings before publishing. |
| Upload an existing video | Using footage made or edited on your phone or computer. | Use a square or vertical video that meets the current length limit, and confirm you have rights to its audio and other material. |
You can complete either route on a phone. For a computer upload, use YouTube Studio.
Record and publish in the YouTube app
- Sign in to the YouTube app and tap Create → Short.
- Record a clip by holding the Capture button, or tap it to start recording and tap again to stop. The creation flow supports multiple segments and includes a duration control.
- Review your clips. Remove a previous segment if needed, or restore it. Add optional sounds, text-to-speech, text, filters, or effects using the tools available in the editor.
- Tap Next. Add a title, set privacy, and choose the correct audience designation, including whether the video is made for kids. The Android upload guide sets a 100-character maximum for the title.
- Tap Upload Short to publish, or Save draft to finish later.
Button labels and screen layouts can change; follow the current app interface if it differs from these steps. YouTube’s creator guidance describes recording, editing, and uploading on a phone as a complete way to get started. YouTube Shorts upload tips.
Upload a video you already made
From the YouTube app on Android
Start the Shorts upload flow and select a saved square or vertical video. You can trim the selected video, add optional creative elements, then set its title, privacy, and audience before uploading. See YouTube’s Android Shorts upload instructions for the current flow.
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- 【Zoom in & out】This remote shutter with zoom feature (Must open zoom in accessibility setting for iPhone/iPad) can help you easily zoom in and out from a distance when taking photos and videos, bringing great convenience and making your shooting more professional
- 【Front & Rear Camera Switch】There is a bluetooth button on the side of the wireless remote control that can switch the camera. Click once to switch the system camera, and double-click to switch the camera within the application. This unique feature can help you easily and quickly switch between front and rear cameras, making it perfect for content creation
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From YouTube Studio on a computer
- Sign in to YouTube Studio.
- Select Create → Upload videos and choose your file.
- Complete the video details, including title, audience, and privacy settings.
- Review the details and publish when ready.
For a standard channel, the current eligibility guidance classifies square or vertical videos up to three minutes long as Shorts when uploaded after October 15, 2024. YouTube’s computer upload instructions also specify a square or vertical aspect ratio and a three-minute maximum. Check the current Shorts eligibility guidance if you are working with an older upload or an Official Artist Channel, which has separate historical timing details. For desktop steps, see Upload YouTube Shorts on a computer.
Check music, copyright, and audience settings
Use audio you are allowed to publish
For a standard-channel Short, YouTube says songs in the Shorts Audio Library may be available for use, but permitted duration varies: most tracks can be used for up to 90 seconds in a three-minute Short, while some are limited to 60 or 30 seconds. Royalty-free music from the YouTube Audio Library is another option. If you made the video elsewhere, use only music and other material cleared for YouTube; copyrighted material can result in a Content ID claim or, where a valid takedown is made, a copyright strike. Read the Shorts music and eligibility guidance and the upload instructions before publishing.
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YouTube’s eligibility page describes a policy transition for active Content ID claims on Shorts over one minute scheduled to begin September 24, 2026. Because the date is still ahead as of October 3, 2026, check the live page for the current rule before publishing a longer Short with claimed material rather than assuming an older rule still applies.
Set privacy and audience deliberately
Choose public, private, or unlisted according to who should be able to watch. YouTube’s default privacy setting differs by creator age: for creators aged 13–17, the default is private; for creators aged 18 or older, the default is public. Confirm the setting each time, especially if you intend the video to be publicly available. Choose the made-for-kids designation accurately as well. Details are in YouTube’s Shorts creation guidance and Android upload guidance.
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After publishing: check the Short and learn from it
YouTube suggests trying a test Short and using privacy settings to control who can see it. Your Short may be encountered through the Shorts feed, search, the YouTube homepage, channel pages, subscriptions, or notifications; no posting schedule or single tactic guarantees discovery. Choose a publishing rhythm you can sustain rather than chasing a universal number of posts per week.
Since March 31, 2025, YouTube counts a Shorts view when the Short starts to play or replay, with no minimum watch-time requirement. “Engaged views” remains available for the previous measure of viewers who continued watching. Keep that distinction in mind when interpreting view totals. See YouTube’s Shorts creation and view-count guidance.
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Or let it run in the cloud
For a different task—keeping an uploaded video looping as a 24/7 YouTube live stream—StreamNeo runs the stream from the cloud. Upload your recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. Nothing has to stay on at home; it streams the uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps at one flat price per slot, and automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly: $9.99 per month. This is for uploaded video playback, not a live camera feed. Learn more at StreamNeo, or start your free day.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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