In an updated Google support document, YouTube has announced that it is experimenting with showing long-form video recommendations in the YouTube Shorts feed. This experiment aims to enhance the reach and discovery of long-form videos by showing them in more places across the platform.
YouTube is conducting this test with a limited set of users. If your account is among the chosen ones, you may start seeing long-form videos (even those two-hour-long videos) in your Shorts feed. The updated document states:
To try to help viewers better discover content across channels, formats, and lengths on YouTube, we’re running a few small experiments on the Watch Page and with Shorts. If you’re a viewer in the experiment, these new discovery experiences could include a mix of video formats including long-form videos where you’d usually see Shorts (example: the Shorts Feed) or new feeds of long-form videos.
YouTube created Shorts to compete with short video platforms such as TikTok and Instagram's Reels. YouTube Shorts have been kept separate from long-form videos on the platform, and they appear in their dedicated scrollable feed.
While the new experiment boosts long-form video creators' reach to a wider audience, it may downgrade viewer's experience, especially for those who consume Shorts. Even though you will still be able to swipe the long-form video away when it appears in your Shorts feed, it could break the flow.
Additionally, long-form content is typically made in landscape format, while Short videos are created in portrait format. Therefore, inserting a horizontal video in a feed with vertical videos makes little sense. However, it also highlights YouTube's recognition of Shorts as a vital part of the platform, given that Short videos have a higher audience retention rate.
The best part is that it is an experiment, and Google will remove this feature if it receives negative feedback from users testing it.
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