YouTube is the World’s leading video-sharing platform, with millions of videos uploaded daily. So, have you ever tried to know what is the longest video on YouTube? If not, don’t worry- we will let you know here.
Currently, the longest video on this platform is 200 hours long. Mac Paverick published this video on August 10, 2020, titled “200 Hour Count Down Timer Video-longest timer in the world on YouTube.
As the title suggests, the 200-hour countdown timer-long video will take approximately 8 and a half days to watch completely.
This article will discuss what is YouTube’s longest video, how long a YouTube video can be, and the top 10 longest videos on this platform.
What is the Longest Video on YouTube? | Record Length
Currently, YouTube’s longest video is “200-Hour Countdown Timer- Longest Timer in the World on YouTube,” which was uploaded by Mac Paverick on August 10, 2020. This is simply a 200-hour countdown timer published by a Youtube channel based out of Germany.
It will take 8 days to finish this video. Now, due to changes in video length limitations on YouTube, with a current length of 12 hours, it will be the longest video unless YouTube removes this video or sets it to private.
What is the Record for the Longest Video on YouTube Ever?
Jonathan Harchick holds the record for uploading the longest video ever named “THE LONGEST VIDEO ON YOUTUBE-596 HOURS” on December 14, 2011. Harchick states about this video:” I challenge everyone to try and make a longer video.” The video consists of an astounding 596 hours, 31 minutes, and 10 seconds long, which takes 24 days, 20 hours 30 minutes to finish.
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The video contains thousands of clips from other videos, TV shows, and movies that Harchcik compiled to create this mammoth. He posted it as an experiment to check how long a video could be uploaded on YouTube. As no one can finish this video in one sitting, it is perfect to play this in the background while performing other activities.
The video gained over 12 million views and over 155,000 likes. It is worth noting that the longest video is not the most watched on this platform. The watched video honor belongs to Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito” music video, which has over 7.6 billion views. Nonetheless, Harchick’s video is undoubtedly impressive but is no longer available on YouTube due to YouTube policy violations.
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How Long Can a YouTube Video Be?
For verified YouTube accounts having a good track record of adhering to YouTube’s community policies, the maximum video length is 12 hours with sizes up to 256 GB. This considerable increase in video length and file size helps creators who want to shoot more in-depth content or longer from video assays.
For unverified YouTube channels, video uploads are restricted to a maximum length of 15 minutes.
Thus, to create longer-duration videos, verify your Youtube channel, which only takes a couple of minutes.
These are time limits or restrictions for videos uploaded to YouTube, but what about live streams?
How Long Can a YouTube Live Stream Be?
Live streams are quite different from regular videos on YouTube, as they are streamed in real-time. There are no length restrictions for these videos on YouTube. However, there are some restrictions if you use the video on YouTube after finishing its streaming.
Your video must be at least 12 hours long if you want your live stream to be available on YouTube after streaming. This is because YouTube only archives live streams that are less than 12 hours in length.
Most of the time, videos on Youtube start with some troubleshooting. For example, if someone is trying to learn the usage of the camera or adjusting audio, you will have to troubleshoot it. So, you can cut that portion easily out of your video when it is archived.
Similarly, if you want to edit your live stream using YouTube’s built-in video editor, it must be less than 6 hours in length or duration. Beyond this duration, the video editor will not be available.
Top 10 Longest YouTube Videos Ever
Here is the list of the top 10 YouTube videos considered the longest Ever.
- The first is “THE LONGEST VIDEO ON YOUTUBE- 596 HOURS” by Jonathan Harchicks. This video consists of 596 hours, 31 minutes, and 8 seconds, which takes 24 days, 20 hours and 30 minutes to finish.
- The second on the list, “THE LONGEST YOUTUBE VIDEO EVER- 571 HOURS” by TVFlithyFrank. This video consists of 571 hours, 1 minute, and 9 seconds, which will take 23 days, 19 hours, 1 minute, and 9 seconds to finish.
- Third on the list is “SUDARSHAN KRIYA LIVE,” shot on day 1 of the International Yoga Festival 2016 by Parmarth Niketan. This video is 401 hours, 50 minutes, and 8 seconds long.
- Fourth on the list is “JONATHAN’S EXTREME LONGEST VIDEO ON YOUTUBE OF ALL TIME” by Jonathan Harchick. The video is 360 hours, 1 minute, and 10 seconds long.
- The fifth one is “24/7 lofi hip hop radio – beats to study/chill/relax” by Chillhop Music. Its duration is 338 hours, 7 minutes, and 37 seconds.
- Number 6 is “The Yoga Prescription: Healing the Body, Strengthening the Mind, and Nurturing the Spirit.” Niroga Institute uploaded this, which lasted 252 hours, 2 minutes, and 35 seconds.
- 7th longest YouTube video is “Nature Relaxation Films,” by Nature Relaxation Films. The video is 214 hours, 43 minutes, and 34 seconds long.
- “11:11:11:11” by Felix Colgrave (190 hours, 11 minutes, and 11 seconds)
- On number 8 is “11:11:11:11” of Felix Colgrave, which consists of 190 hours, 11 minutes, and 11 seconds.
- 9th longest video on YouTube is “Prayer for Peace: Religions Together” by Soka Gakkai. This video is 164 hours, 38 minutes, and 50 seconds long.
- The longest YouTube video, “#65 days to Moksha – the Ultimate Journey” by Vishen Lokhiani, holds the 10th position. Its duration is 147 hours, 56 minutes, and 15 seconds.
So, these are the top 10 longest YouTube videos ever.
Now, we will discuss the current top 10 YouTube videos.
Top 10 YouTube Longest Video Right Now
Here are the tens of the longest videos currently on YouTube.
- Teo Does a 36-Hour Stream: “Teo Does a 36-Hour Stream” is currently the longest video on YouTube. It is a Twitch stream from the gaming channel Teo- which consists of multiple games such as Jurassic World: Evolution 2, Battlefield 2042, and Inscryption. Even though Teo did sleep during the live stream, he kept the stream going by showing existing videos in the interim.
- 1 Year Survival Challenge in the Jungle – full videos – The longest Video in the World: Second on the list is “1 Year Survival Challenge in the Jungle – full video – The longest Video in the World. This video features 24 hours of footage and was published in 2021 by a content creator, “Jungle Man.” It explains the life activities of survivalists in the forest.
- PLAYING MINICRAFT FOR 24 HOURS STRAIGHT! “PLAYING MINICRAFT FOR 24 HOURS STRAIGHT” is another 24-hour video by a YouTuber named UnspeakableReacts, released in 2018. This video shows Minicraft activities such as taming wolves and chopping trees.
- PLAYING FORTNITE FOR 24 HOURS! * WORLD RECORD: “PLAYING FORTNITE FOR 24 HOURS!” features Kwebbelkop, one of Bloo’s friends, in his 24–hour GTA 5 video. During the game, Kwebbelkop tried to snipe enemies while they were building a fort.
- LONGEST VIDEO ON YOUTUBE (24 HOURS): “LONGEST VIDEO ON YOUTUBE (24 HOURS)” is a video from jtpfreeak, published in 2010. It features absurdist comedy sketches like puppet shows and newscasts featuring a dog.
- I Played GTA 5 for 24 Hours Straight! (World Record Challenge): It is a video from YouTuber Bloo where he played Grand Theft Auto V, or GTA 5 for short, with his friends 24 hours continuously.
- I Drew Pewdiepie For 24 Hours Straight | ZHC: This video is from a ZHC artist, released in 2019, where ZHC drew another famous YouTuber named Pewdiepie. The video continued for 24 hours straight.
- 24-Hour Challenge Family Fun Challenge / That YouTub3 Family, The Adventurers: The video was released in 2019 by a YouTuber family named That YouTub3 Family. In a video of 24 hours, they filmed themselves to show day-to-day activities.
- I Counted to 100,000!: It is a video from Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson, a famous YouTuber known for making stunts. The video was originally 40 hours, but some of its scenes are fast-forwarded due to the 24-hour limit of Adobe.
- The Longest 5 Seconds on YouTube. : This video is released from The Slow Mo Guys. In this video, they filmed some crazy activities, such as jumping on a water balloon or getting hit in the face with a soccer ball for 19 hours. This way, “The Longest 5 Seconds on YouTube” is the 10th longest video on YouTube right now!
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, we hope you are clear about what is the longest video on YouTube. Before the implementation of YouTube Restrictions, there were some lengthy contenders. Still, now you can publish a video on YouTube with a maximum duration of 12 hours and a size of 256 GB.
Still, the longest video on YouTube that you can watch is 200 hours long, and the record for the longest YouTube video ever is 596.5 hours. These are the two milestones only one will beat anytime soon if YouTube changes its limitations about video length.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the limit for YouTube videos now?
The length of a video can depend on the account, whether it is verified or unverified. You can upload a 12 hours long video with 256 GB storage for verified channels, while for unverified channels, this limit is only 15 minutes.
What is the longest YouTube video 2023?
The longest YouTube video in 2023 is “200-Hour Countdown Time Video” by Mac Paverick, who uploaded it on August 10, 2020.
What is the longest YouTube short video?
The longest video for YouTube shorts lasts 1 minute and 11 seconds. It is published by a jungle man in May of 2021, who spent an entire year in the jungle building Huts, setting up irrigation systems and hunting.