Guides to making short videos

Practical, plain-English guides to making Shorts, TikToks and Reels that people watch - and staying on the right side of the platforms' rules.

A step-by-step plan for a YouTube channel where you never appear on camera: picking a topic, your first 30 videos, voice, visuals and what YouTube expects in 2026.

The current YouTube Partner Program thresholds for Shorts and long videos, what changes on 1 February 2027, and the content rules that get channels turned down.

YouTube's inauthentic content rule explained in plain words, and eight practical ways to make AI-assisted videos that are original enough to earn.

The first two seconds decide whether anyone watches. Seven hook shapes that work, examples for each, and the mistakes that make people swipe.

How long short videos can be on each platform, why shorter usually wins, and how to pick a length for the story you're telling.

A simple structure for one-minute scripts, how many words fit, and how to keep viewers watching to the end.

Faceless YouTube and TikTok niches with a deep supply of stories, what makes each one stand out, and which to avoid.

Posting frequency for YouTube Shorts, TikTok and Reels: what consistency does, when more posts help, and when they hurt.

Most short videos are watched with the sound off or low. How to make captions easy to read, where to put them, and common mistakes.

Picking a narrator voice that suits your topic, keeping it consistent, and using AI voices well.

When real stock footage works best, when AI pictures are better, and how to make sure every shot matches its line.

Finding the best moments in a podcast, stream or long video, cutting them to vertical, and making each clip stand on its own.

Reaching viewers in other languages with translated scripts, native-sounding voices and captions, and the mistakes to avoid.

Which numbers in YouTube Studio actually matter for Shorts, what good looks like, and what to change when a video underperforms.

What you can and can't use in your videos, how claims work, and simple habits that keep a channel safe. Not legal advice.

How much titles and hashtags matter for Shorts, how to write them, and where search still makes a difference.