We’re all used to scrolling through our Tik-Tok feeds and hearing a cornucopia of modern hits. These are all songs that will lead to heavy DMCA strikes on YouTube videos. The same thing went for Shorts, but YouTube allowed people to use up to 15 seconds of licensed music in their Shorts starting September this year. 15 seconds isn’t much, but it could be just enough to get the point across. That annoying “Oh No” song doesn’t need 15 seconds to be effective.
However, YouTube Shorts will allow up to 60 seconds of licensed music
This report comes from Engadget, and it’s good news for avid YouTube Shorts creators. Sometimes, you just need the most modern hits from Taylor Swift or Shawn Mendes to make the perfect Short. Because of this, licensed music has become a big part of short-form videos. According to YouTube, you will be able to use up to a full minute of licensed music for YouTube Shorts. This functionality is currently rolling out, so there’s a chance that you won’t see it right away. This process will take a few weeks, so just hang tight.
There is a catch to this feature, however
While the limit has been pushed up to a full 60 seconds, that does not apply to all of the tracks. The company says that there will be some tracks that could still only be used for 15 seconds. This all depends on the specific license agreements that YouTube has with the record companies. As for most of the tracks, you will be able to use between 30 seconds and 60 seconds of them. This means that there will be tracks that can only be used for 30 seconds as well. This could be frustrating if your favorite track is on that list. If you’re wondering which tracks could be used for the full 60 seconds, the app will tell you in the audio picker. You will be able to know which tracks you can use for 15, 30, or 60 seconds.
