Short-form video
Short-form video is vertical video content under roughly 90 seconds, optimized for TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and similar feeds.
Short-form videos are designed for fast, vertical, sound-on viewing on mobile. Best practices include opening with a strong hook in the first two seconds, using burned-in captions, keeping a tight pace, and ending with a clear next step. The format is heavily favored by platform algorithms because it maximizes watch time per minute of feed.
Related terms
- Faceless videoA faceless video is a short or long-form video that communicates a message without showing the creator on camera, typically combining stock or AI visuals, captions, and a voiceover.
- Long-form to short-form clippingLong-form to short-form clipping is the process of taking a long video — a podcast, livestream, or YouTube video — and automatically extracting the most engaging moments as vertical short-form clips.