What is the ideal length of a video on a topic you enjoy?

[apophis@yourwalls.today]

@futurebird (or links to the video files instead of embeds, with thumbnails that make it clear what is being demonstrated in the linked video)

[roland@devdilettante.com]

@futurebird 10 minutes. you can teach anything in a 10 minute video with a text blog post to back it up. and if you can't then you can break it up into multiple 10 minute videos.

[rabidchaos@hachyderm.io]

@futurebird I think one to two hours is a good length for properly getting into the details of a subject. Three hours or more is just getting silly. (Glances at The Bread Circus) But around one hour is a good length for going into detail on a subject without needing to be super rushed, and is basically a college lecture/seminar (at least in quantity of not quality).

[thefathippy@mastodon.world]

@futurebird

I prefer <15, but tolerate <30. Very rarely longer.

[attoparsec@clacks.link]

@futurebird Everyone has a strong opinion on this, but it seems to mostly cancel out under ~1 hour. I've never seen any strong correlation between how well my videos do and their length.

[log@mastodon.sdf.org]

@futurebird In general, if it's "interesting", one would need at least 15 minutes to cover all relevant subtopics, and if it's longer than 30 minutes, it should be edited down. If more than 45 minutes is *required*--as for a more complex topic--it should be broken down into multiple blocks of 15-45 minutes each. I might binge it all at once, but I do like the option to stop and pick it back up later at a designated breakpoint.

[philsuth@fosstodon.org]

@futurebird Generally I'll skip the video entirely, and go for a book or paper or web page if the option is there. I like being able to choose how fast or slow I gather the information, and being able to skip, backtrack and review easily. Each to their own, though - so it's important to provide choices.

[mym@toot.cat]

@futurebird it doesn't matter i'm not gonna watch it

[sarraceniawilds@sunny.garden]

@futurebird i feel like i cant vote because my answer is five minutes and an hour and a half, there is no inbetween, yes both

[mdkcore@hachyderm.io]

@futurebird I skip anything longer than 5 minutes, unless I really want, or need, to see (and probably will try to find where in the video is the info I need)

[ricosuave@mastodon.online]

@futurebird If I am searching for "how to do" something, and the something can typically be done in <5 min, I'd rather the video get to the point quickly. However, if it's a exploration or "expoundment" on a hobby topic, up to 30min is fine. Longer than that is reserved for serious study ... not for flushing a water heater.

[jsteven@wandering.shop]

@futurebird
I watch a LOT of YouTube, and the length is all over the place. But under 15 is an impulse buy. Up to half an hour is usually fine if I'm interested. Over 45 is for topics and creators I'm REALLY interested in, and for an hour or more, I really have to plan for it. Those sometimes get pushed down the queue never to emerge.

[megmac@social.treehouse.systems]

@SarraceniaWilds @futurebird yeah pretty much same

[incomprehensibeel@sauropods.win]

@futurebird for me it depends on what the video is about and also the mood I’m in.

[jaeclectic@mas.to]

@futurebird This was hard because it definitely depends on the topic, my mood, and the day. Just yesterday I actually watched an almost 90 minute Heated Rivalry breakdown on youtube because I had time and was in the mood to listen to a nerdy person talk at length about something I love, interspersed with short clips of pretty actors. OTOH, I often look at a video title and literally say "I am interested in that topic but not 12 minutes interested" (where the number could be anything over 3!)

[cptsuperlative@toot.cat]

@futurebird

It depends on how much time I have but on average 15-30. Although, for some hour long videos I will start and expect to finish later.

[stevenaleach@universeodon.com]

@futurebird If it's under 15 minutes (or if it's a "vertical video" of any length) I tend to scroll past - after that I'll scan for high quality looking long content (and especially any semester-length play-lists of lectures), open these up in new tabs. Any of the playlists I check out first (discarding those I don't want to watch) and move to the left of the tab-bar, and any of the others that turn out to be good material I want to go back to and watch again, until I've watched (or bailed on) all the individual videos and moved any worth going back to to the "keep" side, then settle in to watch the lecture playlists. Some of those tabs might be up for well over a month before I'm finally ready to close them.

[kelvin0mql@mastodon.social]

@futurebird
My YouTube habits are usually to skip anything over 20, except with a few specific channels that I know are going to be interesting & funny throughout. I know who rambles, & who keeps it moving, you know?

[kelvin0mql@mastodon.social]

@futurebird
I used to follow a guy with a steam powered machine shop. Fascinating stuff. But dude talks so slow. Figured out I could watch at 1.75x speed, and then he sounded like a normal person. LOL

[tashtaylor@sauropods.win]

@futurebird It depends on the presenter! If they're not particularly engaging, under half an hour even if I enjoy the topic. If they're particularly engaging it can be over an hour on basically any topic.

But I answered the poll based on 'what's the longest video I'd click on a subject I'm interested in by an unknown agent', which is 30–45 mins.