2025 Data Is In: Long-Form Video is Making a Comeback

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Short-form dominated content the last five years.

But as we head into the end of the year, the data tells us that long-form video is making a comeback.

Creators are getting 10× more views and 5× more comments on longer formats (PopularPays).

And according to BrandVision Insights, 30–60 minute videos now outperform shorts when the audience is targeted correctly.

The pendulum is swinging from bite-sized clips to depth, storytelling, and expertise.

And AI is quietly making long-form easier (and cheaper) to produce than ever.

This shift is a massive opportunity for CMOs who move early, and a threat to teams still building content for 2021 algorithms.

Let’s break it down.

Why Long-Form Is Winning Again

1. Short-Form Saturation Has Peaked

Every brand posts shorts. Every creator posts shorts.

The feed is flooded.

But long-form is scarce, which makes attention more valuable.

Platforms are rewarding creators who make viewers stay on their platforms longer.

Source: Metricool

And consumers are signaling they actually want depth when it’s relevant.

Why it matters: Long-form is where brands can deliver real expertise, trust, and narrative, things that were often lost in short-form.

2. Depth Builds Trust, and Trust Converts

Business buyers, complex products, and premium services all benefit from education.

Educational content tends to need a runway.

The 2025 BrandVM study found that longer videos (30–60 minutes) “convert better when the audience is the right fit.”

That doesn’t mean you need full-length documentaries. It does mean:

• filmed walkthroughs

• teardown explanations

• expert interviews

• behind-the-scenes process videos

It’s the content that makes your brand feel real, and not manufactured. A real chance to make a connection with your audience.

3. Algorithms Are Quietly Rebalancing Toward Watch Time

TikTok’s “long-form expansion,” Instagram’s 10-minute push, and YouTube’s consistent priority all point to one thing:

Platforms want minutes, not seconds.

• Minutes are where ads live.

• Minutes are where subscriptions make sense.

• Minutes are where retention is built.

If you play the platforms’ game, they’ll reward you.

4. AI Has Cut Production Costs

The biggest barrier to long-form used to be production.

Now production can be taken care of with prompts.

AI tools can now handle:

• editing

• cuts

• audio cleanup

• B-roll

• transitions

• color

• captions

That can amount to days or even weeks worth of saved time.

It’s finally economically viable for brands that aren’t media companies.

What You Can Do Today

Here’s how modern marketers can act right now to ride the long-form wave:

• Pick one long-form format to test this week: a founder story, product teardown, demo, or customer walkthrough.

• Record 10 minutes of continuous content. Don’t overthink it.

• Use AI to handle the edit. Tools like Topaz Video AI or Runway will clean, sharpen, caption, and structure your video automatically.

• Publish the full cut and slice it into shorts. Long-form becomes a content engine, 1 long-form video can also be 5-10 short-form videos.

• Track one metric only: watch time. That’s what every platform is quietly optimizing for in 2026.

Topaz Video AI

If long-form is the opportunity, Topaz Video AI is the leverage.

Topaz uses AI to:

• sharpen footage

• clean audio

• stabilize motion

• upscale to 4K/8K

• remove noise and artifacts

• auto-enhance entire timelines

In other words: It gives you studio-grade long-form quality without studio-grade budgets.

Why it matters for CMOs:

It removes the two biggest long-form barriers: time and production quality. Small teams can now create cinematic long-form on laptop hardware.

Use this tool to pilot a 5–10 minute video that would’ve been too expensive to attempt last year.

Popular Pays: “Long-Form Video Content Dominance: Why 2025 Is the Year of Extended Engagement”

Popular Pays reported that when creators posted longer format videos, they saw:

• 10x more views than branded content

• 3x higher save rates

• 5x more meaningful comments

• 80% increase in search visibility

Why it matters:

Engagement is shifting from passive scrolling to active watching. People still crave depth, and platforms are catching on to that trend.

This is the clearest signal that long-form isn’t just “coming back.” It’s already here.

Short-form gets attention, long-form earns trust.

AI makes both easier, but long-form now has the momentum heading into 2026.

The next content winners will be the ones who build:

• deeper stories

• longer arcs

• richer explanation

• multi-minute value delivery

Action Step: Pick one long-form experiment: a 10-minute demo, a founder walkthrough, or a breakdown.

Record it. Then let AI handle the edit, and post it.

Track watch time, completion rate, and conversions.

You’ll see why long-form is back.

Until next time,

— Mac

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