Omdia: YouTube reaches 29 billion videos as music and Shorts dominate viewing

LONDON, January 28, 2026: YouTube has reached 29 billion videos as of December 2025, with growth driven by Shorts, AI-generated content, and expansion in markets such as India, according to new research from Omdia.

“YouTube is the most popular video service globally and is on track to reach 30 billion videos in early 2026,” said Daoud Jackson, Senior Analyst at Omdia. "Omdia research shows the least-watched 99% of videos account for just 9% of total viewing time. Yet YouTube continues to host the equivalent of 280,000 years of video content, most of which is rarely watched - a fascinating aspect of the platform’s strategy.”

Jackson added, “This content also forms the backbone of Google’s video training data for Gemini.  While user-generated content drives perceptions of success, our research shows the reality is more complex. YouTube has become a highly diverse platform in 2026, with professional content, music, news, and podcasts all shaping viewing patterns.” 

Figure 1: Cumulative Number of YouTube Videos (3Q06 to 3Q25)

YouTube’s growth is accelerating: 25% of all 2025 YouTube videos occurred in the first 10 months. This surge is heavily driven by short-form video with Shorts now representing over 90% of all new uploads. The top 1% of videos generate 91% of total viewing time while the remaining 99% account for just 9% of viewing yet still play a critical role in the platform’s ecosystem.

Key findings on viewer preferences include: 

• Music and professional content dominate: Music videos account for 33% of all YouTube viewing time, while professionally filmed content makes up 46%.

• Podcasts are growing: Video podcasts represent 5% of total viewing, showing rapid growth in the format.

• News remains important: News content captures 10% of viewing, ranking as the third most popular category.