Myth: keep every Short under 15 seconds or retention dies

Myth: keep every Short under 15 seconds or retention dies
Old advice from the 15s era. With Shorts now up to 3 minutes, length isn't the lever — pacing is. I tested 8s vs 40s versions of the same hook; the 40s held retention fine because it earned the time.

Editors that help pace longer Shorts
— Descript: cut filler words by text, best for talky 40s+
— CapCut: manual but precise
— Submagic: auto-removes silences

Pros: longer Shorts = more watch-time per view if paced.
Cons: one dead beat in a long Short and they swipe.

Price: Descript $12/mo, Submagic $16/mo.
Best for: storytellers and explainers, not punchline content.
Verdict: length isn't the enemy, dead air is. Cut filler with Descript. Skip long Shorts for one-joke clips.