The longest video uploaded to YouTube in 2023 is by Mac Paverick of Germany and is titled “200-Hour Countdown Time Video” and was posted on August 10, 2020.

As the title itself explains, the video is simply a 200-hour countdown timer.

If you play it now, it will take approximately 8 and a half days to complete!

However, there have been videos longer than the current video on YouTube, although they are no longer available on the platform.

The official world record for the longest video on YouTube is 596.5 hours long and is titled “The Longest Video On YouTube – 596.5 hours“. It was uploaded on December 14, 2011, by Jonathan Harchick of MoldyToastMe.

Moreover, not only the video but also many of Jonathan’s channels have apparently been removed by YouTube due to policy violations. Nevertheless, the video was 24 days, 20 hours, and 30 minutes long!

YouTube’s Policies on Long Videos

YouTube, one of the world’s leading video platforms, has revolutionized content creation and connected millions of people.

With a monthly user base of over 2.6 billion people, it has become an integral part of digital media.

And one of the main reasons for its popularity and accessibility is the platform’s policy on the length and size of videos.

Over the years, the record for the longest videos has been changed several times due to changes influenced by YouTube’s policies.

Numerous creators vie for this record, always trying to exceed the limits of video length.

Previously, the longest videos consisted mainly of compilations of several short videos or music clips, sometimes lasting several hours.

As previously mentioned, if you were to devote time to watch (play) the entire longest video on YouTube it would span eight consecutive days. 

Due to YouTube’s constantly evolving algorithms, the current maximum video length limit is 12 hours with a file size limit of 256 GB for verified accounts, while for unverified channels the maximum video length cannot exceed 15 minutes.

As the algorithm evolves “The 200 Hour countdown” is expected to be the longest video for the foreseeable future, unless it is removed or set to private”.

How long can a YouTube Stream be? 

There are no length restrictions for a Youtube stream, yet there are some limitations if you intend to keep the stream on your channel once you’ve finished streaming. 

To make the stream available on Youtube, the duration must be at most 12 hours. 

The platform archives live streams that are less than 12 hours in length.

Additionally, if you wish to edit your live stream using YouTube’s integrated editor, the live stream must be 6 hours at maximum, beyond this duration the video editor feature becomes unavailable. 

Reception

The video was created to break the previous records of the longest video on Youtube (mentioned above). 

Its reception among viewers was a mixed bag. 

Most viewers have criticized the video as pointless and unnecessarily drawn out.

Some have made hilarious jokes for this video. Check out the comment below:

“These words inspired me to create my own book, it’s now published around the world and thousands read it. My favorite part of the book is pages 3,482,289,364,279 the words there hit deep and reflect on this video and what it told.” (source – YouTube comments)

Reactions like these are entirely justified, as the video consists only of a timer running against a plain white background. There are no graphics, no music, and no useful information for viewers.

However, some selected comments show a positive reaction to the creativity and the hard work involved in compiling such a long-timer.

It is worth noting here that videos of comparatively shorter duration have achieved remarkable success on the platform.

Because shorter videos are generally artistic, innovative, informative, less time-consuming, and often more engaging for viewers.

Final thoughts 

Given the popularity of the platform, curiosity is piqued and creators are naturally enticed to explore the extreme video length on the platform and push the limits by uploading exceptionally long videos.

Youtube’s evolution and policies play a crucial role in influencing the availability and accessibility of extended-duration videos.

As the platform continually adapts and introduces new features, it remains intriguing to see how creators will further explore the boundaries of video length. 

Despite the possibility of uploading videos with a maximum duration of 12 hours, it is necessary to be aware that long videos do not guarantee results and do not correspond to the interests and preferences of the audience.

As a result, Youtube as a platform has implemented restrictions to optimize resource management and ensure the delivery of engaging content to its users.

For more interesting facts about the content and activities of social media platforms, see our resources here.