How to Change YouTube Shorts to Video

Thinking you can flip a switch to turn an existing YouTube Short back into a regular video? It's a common question, and the short answer is no – YouTube doesn't offer a button to convert a published Short. But that doesn't mean you're stuck. This guide will walk you through the practical, strategic ways to transform your vertical short-form content into polished, horizontal long-form videos that can reach a new audience and grow your channel.

First, Why You Can't Just "Switch" a Short to a Video

Before we get into the "how," let's quickly cover the "why." YouTube categorizes Shorts and long-form videos (sometimes called VODs, or Video on Demand) as two fundamentally different content types. The distinction comes down to two simple rules:

• Aspect Ratio: Shorts are vertical or square (like 9:16 or 1:1). Regular videos are horizontal (16:9).
• Length: Shorts must be 60 seconds or less. Regular videos can be any length over one minute.

Once a video is uploaded and meets the criteria for a Short, it gets processed and distributed through the Shorts feed. It lives in a different ecosystem with a separate algorithm designed for quick, skippable content. A long-form video, on the other hand, is distributed across the YouTube homepage, subscription feeds, and recommended videos, targeting an audience looking for more in-depth content. Because these are two different platforms-within-a-platform, there's no direct "convert" button. But don't worry, the workarounds are straightforward and offer a lot of creative freedom.

Method 1: The Simple Re-Upload and Repurpose

This is the most direct way to get a video you intended as a Short to show up as a standard video in your main channel feed. This works best when you have a vertical video that you want to be treated as a regular, browsable video on your channel's "Videos" tab, not just in the Shorts shelf.

The catch? Because of YouTube's automatic classification, re-uploading a vertical video under 60 seconds will almost always turn it into a Short again. The key is to slightly modify the format so it no longer fits the Shorts criteria.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Find Your Original File: Don't download the video from YouTube Studio. The platform compresses uploads, so you'll lose quality. Always go back to the original, high-resolution file on your computer or phone.
2. Open a Simple Video Editor: You don't need anything fancy. Mobile apps like CapCut, InShot, or even your phone's built-in editor will work. On a desktop, free tools like DaVinci Resolve or Clipchamp are perfect for this.
3. Place it in a 16:9 Frame: This is the most important step. Create a new project with a standard horizontal (16:9) aspect ratio. Import your vertical video file and place it in the center of the horizontal timeline.
4. Fill the Background Space: You will now have black bars on either side of your video. To make it look more professional, fill this empty space. Common techniques include:
   • Blurred Background: Import the same video clip again, place it on a layer behind your main clip, scale it up to fill the whole screen, and apply a heavy blur effect. This is a classic, clean look people recognize.
   • Branded Background: Create a simple background image in a tool like Canva that includes your channel name, logo, or colors. Place this image behind your video.
   • Solid Color or Gradient: If you want to keep it simple, just add a solid color background that matches your brand aesthetic.
5. (Optional) Extend the Length: If your goal is to make a video longer than 60 seconds to avoid the Shorts algorithm entirely, you can add an intro, outro, or end-screen card. Even adding a simple 5-second branded slate at the start and end can push the total runtime over the 60-second mark.
6. Export and Re-upload: Export your new horizontal video file. Now, when you upload it to YouTube, the system will recognize it as a standard 16:9 video and won't categorize it as a Short. Make sure to remove #shorts from the title and description if it was there previously.

Just like that, your content now exists as a standard video. It can be found via regular search, appear in recommended feeds for long-form content, and be embedded on websites in a traditional horizontal player.

Method 2: Compiling Your Best Shorts into a Long-Form 'Highlight Reel'

Have a bunch of Shorts that revolve around a similar theme? Combining them into a single, cohesive long-form video is a powerful content strategy. Think "5 Quick TikTok Marketing Tips," "My Three Favorite Recipes from Last Month," or "Best Moments from Our Live Event." This approach serves your existing audience with a convenient recap and helps attract new viewers searching for more comprehensive topic breakdowns.

This method transforms multiple low-investment assets into a single high-value one.

How to Build a Compilation Video:

1. Choose a Theme and Collect Your Shorts: Look through your analytics to find Shorts with high engagement or views. Group the best ones that logically fit together under one topic. For example, if you're a fitness coach, you could group Shorts on "push-up variations," "quick breakfast ideas," or "motivational moments." Again, work with the original video files.
2. Map Out a Narrative in Your Preferred Editing Software: Open a new 16:9 project in an editor like DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro, or CapCut. Drag your Shorts clips into the timeline. Don't just place them back-to-back, think about the flow. Arrange them in an order that makes sense - perhaps from easiest to hardest or chronologically.
3. Add Connective Tissue: This is what elevates a compilation from a lazy stitch-job to a genuinely useful video. Add elements between the clips to tie everything together.
   • Title Cards: Simple text on screen like "Tip #1: The Classic Push-Up" or "Recipe 2: The 5-Minute Smoothie" helps orient the viewer.
   • Transitions: Use simple crossfades or slide transitions between each Short to make the pacing feel smoother.
   • Intro and Outro: Record a short introduction explaining what the video is about ("Hey everyone, in this video, I'm sharing my top 5 workout tips from the past month...") and a concluding call-to-action ("If you liked these tips, hit the subscribe button for more!").
   • Music: Add a consistent background music track that runs throughout the video to unify the different clips.
4. Resize Your Clips and Fill Empty Space: Like in Method 1 above, style each vertical Short within the horizontal frame using a blurred background, custom branding, or by putting context text next to it.

This type of video is fantastic for increasing your channel's total watch time – a key metric for YouTube's algorithm – and for providing evergreen content that people can refer back to long after the individual Shorts have fallen out of the feed.

Method 3: Turn Your Top-Performing Short into a Deep-Dive VOD

This is the ultimate growth strategy. Shorts are incredible testing grounds for content ideas. When a Short goes viral or gets unusually high engagement, it's a direct signal from your audience saying, "We want more of this!" Your job is to listen and deliver.

Think of your best-performing Short not as a destination but as a trailer for a full-length feature. Did a 45-second video on "One Simple Trick to Improve Your Sleep" get 100,000 views? That's your cue to create a 12-minute deep-dive video titled "10 Science-Backed Methods for Better Sleep (And How I Fixed My Insomnia)."

A Strategic Workflow for Expanding Ideas:

1. Identify Your Winner: Go into your YouTube Studio analytics and sort your Shorts by views from the last 90 days. Look for outliers. It doesn't have to be a multi-million-view hit, even one that outperforms your average is a great candidate. Look at the comments, too – what questions are people asking?
2. Deconstruct the Topic: Why did this Short do well? Write down the core idea. For the sleep example, the core idea is "a simple, actionable solution to a common problem." Brainstorm related subtopics. This could include:
   • The science behind that specific trick.
   • Common mistakes people make.
   • Other related tricks that complement the first one.
   • Tools or products that might help.
   • Your personal story with the problem.
3. Script or Bullet Point Out a Full Video: Outline a full-scale video based on your subtopics. An example structure could be:
   • Hook (0-30s): Recreate the original hook from your Short but tease a deeper solution. "You might have seen my viral video on [the trick], but it's actually just one piece of the puzzle. In this video, I'm breaking down the full system…"
   • The Core Content (1-8 min): Dive deep into the subtopics you brainstormed. Offer more detail, show more examples, and cite any sources.
   • Your Original Short's Golden Ticket Tip (8-10 min):
   Re-explain the tip from your popular Short in greater detail.
   Call to Action (10-12 min):
   Prompt viewers to subscribe, comment with their own experiences, or check out a related video.

1. Promote Organically: Once your new long-form video is live, pin a comment on the original viral Short that says something like, "Loved this quick tip? I made a full deep-dive video explaining the science behind it and 8 more tips! Watch it here: [link]." This creates a funnel, driving traffic directly from a proven piece of content to your new, monetization-friendly video.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, treating your channel as an interconnected ecosystem of Shorts and long-form videos is the goal. Use Shorts to test ideas, grab attention, and bring in new subscribers. Then, convert those proven concepts and engaged viewers into a dedicated audience for your longer videos, which is where deeper community-building and monetization happen.

Since a big part of turning Shorts into longer videos involves smart planning, we've found that using a visual calendar is a game-changer. That's actually why we built Postbase the way we did – to let you see your whole content plan, from quick Shorts to full-length videos scheduled for YouTube, all in one bird's-eye view. This setup lets you easily spot opportunities to repurpose content and ensure both your short-form and long-form strategies work together cohesively.

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