How Long Should an Explainer Video Be?
Short answerMost B2B explainer videos should be 60 to 90 seconds long, and 60 seconds is enough for one product and one message. Ads work best at 30 seconds or less; LinkedIn recommends 15 to 30 seconds. Product demos and onboarding videos can run longer. vpixai charges $200 for up to 60 seconds and $400 for a video longer than 60 seconds and up to 2 minutes, both delivered in 4 days.
Length is a choice about attention. Every extra second has to earn its place, and in a short video the script, not the runtime, decides whether the viewer understands. Below: lengths by use case, how to turn a target length into a word count, and four real examples from our explainer video work that run from 30 seconds to one minute.
How long should an explainer video be for each use case?
Match the length to where the video plays and how much the viewer already knows. A cold audience scrolling a feed gives you seconds. A prospect who clicked "Watch demo" gives you minutes.
| Use case | Recommended length | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Social or video ad (LinkedIn, YouTube) | 15 to 30 seconds; 45 seconds at most for a story | Cold audience, skippable or scrollable, often sound off |
| YouTube bumper ad | 6 seconds | Fixed format: one message, one brand moment |
| Homepage or landing page explainer | 60 to 90 seconds | Visitor chose to watch; needs problem, solution, how, next step |
| Sales email or follow-up | 45 to 60 seconds | Forwarded to colleagues who have not met you |
| Product demo (marketing) | 60 seconds to 2 minutes | Shows one key workflow on real screens |
| Onboarding or training | 1 to 3 minutes per topic | Viewer is committed; split long topics into a series |
| Launch announcement | 30 to 60 seconds | One headline: what is new and why it matters |
These ranges are our working guidance from producing short B2B videos, not platform rules. The hard limits set by the platforms themselves are below.
What length limits do LinkedIn and YouTube set?
The platforms allow long videos but reward short ones. Here is what their own help pages say.
- LinkedIn video ads: 3 seconds to 30 minutes. LinkedIn recommends 15 to 30 seconds so the video qualifies for every placement, and in-stream video ads can be up to 90 seconds. Videos under 30 seconds loop until they reach 30 seconds of playback; longer videos play once. Source: LinkedIn video ad specifications.
- YouTube ads: viewers can skip skippable in-stream ads after 5 seconds, and Google recommends keeping them under 3 minutes. Non-skippable in-stream ads are 60 seconds or shorter, and bumper ads last 6 seconds. Source: Google Ads Help on video ad formats.
- YouTube Shorts: up to 3 minutes, in a square or vertical aspect ratio. Source: YouTube Help.
The 5-second skip point is the number to design around. Whatever the total length, the problem or the promise has to land before the viewer can leave. For ad cuts and formats, see our video ad production page.
How many words fit in a 60-second explainer script?
Script length depends on how fast the narrator speaks, so measure your own pace instead of trusting a single number. Use this rule of thumb:
Words in the script = seconds of narration × words per second.
- Take any 100-word paragraph of your marketing copy.
- Read it aloud at the calm, clear pace you want in the video, and time it.
- Divide 100 by the seconds. That is your words per second.
- Subtract the seconds with no voice: an opening hook without narration, a logo sting, the end card with your call to action. Five to ten seconds is common in a 60-second video.
- Multiply the remaining seconds by your words per second.
Worked example: if 100 words take 40 seconds to read, the pace is 2.5 words per second. A 60-second video with 8 seconds of non-narrated intro and end card leaves 52 seconds, and 52 × 2.5 = 130 words. That is a worked example of the method, not a standard; a faster or slower narrator changes the result. If your draft runs well over the count, cut ideas, not pauses. A rushed voiceover is harder to follow than a shorter script.
What do 30, 45 and 60-second explainers look like in practice?
Here are four client videos from our portfolio, each sized for where it runs.
| Client | Format | Length | Where it runs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Klarent | YouTube pre-roll | 0:30 | Paid YouTube placement for a QA automation product |
| FAZE Security | LinkedIn ad | 0:45 | LinkedIn lead generation for cybersecurity |
| conmeet | Explainer | 0:49 | Construction software explainer, from quote to invoice |
| BambooHR | Product demo | 1:00 | Bamboo AI product walkthrough for HR software |
The FAZE Security ad is 45 seconds, longer than LinkedIn's 15 to 30 second recommendation and well inside its limits. A lead generation ad can justify a little more story because it asks the viewer for more than a glance. The conmeet explainer tells its whole story, from quote to invoice, in 49 seconds, which shows that a complete explainer does not need the full minute. The BambooHR product walkthrough uses the full 60 seconds of vpixai's $200 tier.
More examples:
When does a longer explainer video make sense?
Go past 90 seconds only when the viewer has already decided to learn, not when you have more to say. Good reasons: a product demo for a buyer in evaluation, onboarding for new customers, training for new hires, or a technical product where skipping a step would confuse. Even then, a series of short videos, one per topic, usually beats one long one, because viewers can jump to the part they need.
Weak reasons: fitting in every feature, adding a company history, or matching a competitor's runtime. If you need to know what to put in that first minute, start with what an explainer video is and how it is structured.
At vpixai, a video up to 60 seconds is $200. A video longer than 60 seconds and up to 2 minutes, such as a fuller homepage explainer or a marketing product demo, is $400 and is still delivered in 4 days. Either way you pay after delivery. Videos over 2 minutes and bundles are quoted on request. See pricing for what is included.
FAQ
Is 60 seconds too short for an explainer video?
No. Sixty seconds is enough to state a problem, introduce the product, show two or three key points and give one call to action. If you cannot explain the core idea in a minute, the script usually needs focus, not more time.
How many words are in a 60-second explainer script?
It depends on the narrator's pace, so measure it. Read 100 words aloud at a calm pace and time it. If that takes 40 seconds, your pace is 2.5 words per second, so 60 seconds holds about 150 words before you leave room for pauses, a logo and the call to action.
How long should a LinkedIn video ad be?
LinkedIn accepts video ads from 3 seconds to 30 minutes and recommends 15 to 30 seconds so the video qualifies for every placement. Longer ads are allowed, and videos over 30 seconds play once instead of looping.
How long should a product demo video be?
A marketing demo that shows one key workflow can run about 60 seconds, like the BambooHR walkthrough in our portfolio. Detailed demos for buyers in evaluation or for onboarding often run several minutes, ideally split into short videos by feature.
Does a longer explainer video cost more?
Usually, yes, because there are more scenes to write, design and animate. vpixai charges $200 for up to 60 seconds and $400 for a video longer than 60 seconds and up to 2 minutes, both delivered in 4 days. Videos over 2 minutes and multi-video bundles are quoted on request.