YouTube reached 29 billion videos as of December 2025, with growth increasingly driven by Shorts, AI-generated content and expansion in markets such as India, according to new analysis from Omdia.
Omdia says YouTube is on track to hit 30 billion videos in early 2026, even as viewing remains concentrated on a relatively small share of uploads. The research suggests the least-watched 99% of videos account for just 9% of total viewing time, while the top 1% generate 91% of viewing.
“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 that the long tail of content also plays a role in Google’s AI ecosystem. “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.”
Omdia estimates the platform’s upload volume accelerated through 2025, with 25% of all videos uploaded that year arriving in the first 10 months. Shorts now represent more than 90% of all new uploads, underlining how short-form video is driving the expansion of the catalogue.
In terms of viewing, Omdia says music and professional content dominate consumption. Music videos account for 33% of total YouTube viewing time, while professionally filmed content makes up 46%. News remains a significant category, representing 10% of viewing time, while video podcasts are rising fast, reaching 5% of total viewing, according to Omdia.
