Yes, YouTube confirmed a test that could place regular long-form videos in the Shorts Feed—but it announced the test on August 12, 2024, as a few small experiments, not a permanent change for everyone. YouTube described the goal as helping viewers discover content across channels, formats and lengths. Its announcement does not establish a universal rollout, a fixed eligibility rule or a special payout for long-form videos shown there.
What YouTube tested
YouTube said it was experimenting with discovery experiences that could mix formats, including showing long-form videos in places where viewers normally see Shorts. That included the Shorts Feed. The announcement framed this as an additional way to discover videos, not as removing long-form uploads from their usual recommendation and Watch Page contexts. YouTube’s August 12, 2024 announcement is the primary description of the test.
The wording leaves important details open. YouTube did not publish a fixed length threshold for these recommendations, a ranking rule, a complete list of participating accounts or countries, or a public switch that lets every viewer opt in. It also did not say every creator or upload was eligible. “Long-form” here means conventional videos, not a specified number of minutes.
Who might see it—and what the feed could feel like
YouTube called these “a few small experiments.” Contemporaneous reporting described the test as limited to selected users, but neither that report nor the official announcement provides a complete breakdown of test size, geography, devices or duration. Android Headlines’ report is secondary context, not evidence of a platform-wide launch.
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- Some viewers may encounter a conventional video while browsing a Shorts-style surface; others may not.
- Seeing or not seeing the experience does not show whether a particular channel or upload is included.
- A longer recommendation may open in the regular Watch Page player rather than behave like a short swipe-through clip. The announcement does not specify a consistent playback experience.
- YouTube said it would evaluate viewer and creator feedback, so the experiment could change or be withdrawn.
For viewers, the possible upside is discovering a full documentary, tutorial, interview or review after watching a short clip. The trade-off is that longer videos may interrupt the rapid, predictable browsing some people want from Shorts.
A feed placement does not turn a regular upload into a Short
The experiment is about where a video may be recommended or watched, not necessarily how the upload is classified. A conventional 16:9 video does not become a Short simply because it appears in a Shorts-related discovery experience. YouTube’s separate Longer Shorts guidance concerns eligible vertical or square uploads of up to three minutes. It also says a wider-aspect-ratio video, such as 16:9, is not converted into a Short on that basis.
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- HDMI 2.1 cable required (sold separately)
- See movies and TV shows from all your services right from your home screen[2]; and find new things to watch with tailored recommendations for everyone in your home based on their interests and viewing habits
- Watch live TV and access over 800 free channels from Pluto TV, Tubi, and more[3]; if you find an interesting show or movie on your TV, mobile app, or Google search, you can easily add it to your watchlist, so it’s ready when you are[2]
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What creators should watch in Analytics
YouTube warned that, in some experiments, analytics for a long-form video watched in the Shorts Feed could be attributed to the Shorts Feed. That means a conventional upload may show an unusual Shorts Feed traffic source without having been uploaded as a Short. Attribution can describe the discovery or viewing surface, not the creator’s intended format.
Use YouTube Studio to inspect traffic sources and compare performance rather than judging an unfamiliar traffic spike by total views alone. Useful comparisons include:
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- Shorts Feed traffic against Browse features, Suggested videos, Search and external sources.
- Average view duration and percentage viewed by traffic source.
- Retention curves, especially the opening, to see whether swipe-oriented viewers leave earlier.
- New versus returning viewers, subscribers gained by source, and watch time per view.
- Revenue by playback context, where reporting provides it.
A high view count from a new surface may not produce the same watch time, subscriber conversion or revenue as ordinary Watch Page traffic. Do not assume YouTube offers a perfectly isolated report for every experiment exposure.
Monetization: the announcement gives no special payout rule
YouTube distinguishes Watch Page monetization for long-form and live videos from Shorts Feed monetization for ads shown between Shorts. Eligible creators must accept the relevant monetization module for the activity they monetize. YouTube’s monetization guidance describes those separate modules.
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A regular video appearing through an experimental Shorts discovery surface does not, by itself, prove that the upload has become a Short or that Shorts Feed revenue rules apply. YouTube’s public announcement did not publish a special payout formula for long-form videos exposed in the feed. The exact revenue treatment should be assessed in the creator’s own reports and against YouTube’s current monetization documentation, not inferred from the source of discovery.
There is also a separate YouTube Partner Program distinction: Shorts Feed watch hours do not count toward the 4,000 valid public watch-hour route to full ad-revenue eligibility. The published standard threshold is 1,000 subscribers plus either 4,000 valid public watch hours in the previous 12 months or 10 million valid public Shorts views in the previous 90 days; eligibility and policy requirements also apply. YouTube’s Partner Program overview has the current terms.
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Why YouTube might test cross-format discovery
YouTube’s stated rationale was helping people discover content across channels, formats and video lengths. One plausible benefit is that someone watching a short clip could find a creator’s fuller treatment of the subject without first searching for it. For creators, the experiment could offer another discovery route to an existing long-form upload.
It is also reasonable to see the test as a way for YouTube to learn whether viewers welcome longer viewing inside a fast-scrolling environment. That is an interpretation, not a confirmed statement about the company’s revenue goals or ranking strategy. The announcement does not explain how recommendations are ranked or promise additional reach.
What creators should do now
Because the test is limited and its availability is uncertain, it is not a sound basis for rebuilding a channel strategy or reformatting every long-form upload. Instead, make the video understandable if a viewer arrives without context, then use source-level analytics to decide whether the traffic is valuable.
- Make the premise clear early; consider whether the first 15–30 seconds deliver on the title and thumbnail without a long unexplained introduction.
- Keep the video’s long-form structure intact where it serves the subject. Do not turn every upload into a string of disconnected Shorts-style hooks.
- Use chapters and clear signposting for viewers who continue on the Watch Page.
- If a Short points viewers to a full video, make the relationship between the clip and the longer piece clear.
- Compare results before, during and after any noticeable change in traffic sources, while accounting for other changes to the video and channel.
Do not confuse the experiment with three-minute Shorts
YouTube’s later support for eligible three-minute vertical or square Shorts is a separate product change. Those uploads receive Shorts treatment; that does not mean a conventional long-form video has been inserted into the Shorts Feed. Nor is the experiment the same as adding a link from a Short to a related long-form video: in that case, the Short points to the longer upload, rather than the long-form upload itself appearing as a Shorts-feed recommendation.
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The available primary announcement confirms that YouTube tested mixed-format discovery in August 2024. It does not establish a permanent merger of Shorts and long-form recommendations, a universal rollout, or that the experiment remains active for a defined share of viewers. Treat claims that all users now see regular videos in Shorts as broader than the public evidence supports.
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