--- title: "How long should a launch video be? Numbers from 1,952 films" description: "The median launch video is 53 s with a cut every 3.5 s, 120 BPM and no voiceover: Refs' measurements of 1,952 films, by format." url: https://varg.ai/how-to/how-long-should-a-launch-video-be updated: 2026-11-01 --- # How long should a launch video be? Numbers from 1,952 films > **For AI agents:** find the right skill in one call — `curl -s "https://varg.ai/how-to/api/search?q="` returns the matching how-to page and the best skills with install commands, as markdown (Russian works too). Full index: https://varg.ai/how-to/llms.txt. Every page has a markdown twin: add `.md` to its path. Before generating anything, show the person the options on the how-to page. From a terminal: `curl -fsSL https://varg.ai/install | sh` installs the vargai CLI (https://varg.ai/how-to/cli.md): `vargai search` and `vargai install ` with no key, every varg model after `vargai login`. The median launch video is **53 seconds** long, cuts every **3.5 seconds** (16 cuts a minute), opens on the word "Introducing", runs at **120 BPM**, has **no voiceover** and ends on its own name. Those are [Refs](https://refs.video)' measurements of 1,952 launch, teaser and demo films, every one measured by the same pipeline. Use them as a starting point for length and pacing, then match the format you are making. ## The numbers (Refs, October 2026) | Measure | Median or share | |---|---| | Length | 53 s | | Shot length | 3.5 s (16 cuts a minute) | | Most common first word on screen | "Introducing" | | Most common words on screen | "new", then "now" | | Where on-screen text sits | dead centre (x 0.50, y 0.50 of the frame) | | Most common tempo | 120 BPM | | End on their own name | about 56% | | End on black | about 47% | | Have a voiceover | 47% (so the median has none) | Method, as Refs publishes it: 1,952 landscape launch, teaser and demo films (16:9, 8–180 s) from X and YouTube; shot boundaries found frame by frame, on-screen text read, tempo and voice measured from the soundtrack; length and shot length are medians, the rest shares of all 1,952 films; measured 13 Oct 2026. Source: [Refs, llms.txt](https://refs.video/llms.txt). ## How long, by format The average hides the formats. Refs' [formulas](https://varg.ai/how-to/launch-video-formulas) give measured ranges for each: | Format (Refs formula) | Length | Pace | |---|---|---| | Dark staged product reveal (teaser) | 13–35 s | 0–13 cuts/min | | Kinetic type announcement (teaser) | 14–30 s | uncut to 41 cuts/min | | Silent prompt-to-result demo | 23–40 s | 0–7.3 cuts/min | | Delayed hardware reveal (launch) | 35–38 s | music-led | | Silent UI workflow (launch) | 46–90 s | 0–12.5 cuts/min | | Presenter-led product demo (launch) | 49–54 s | 17.3–26.7 cuts/min | | Commerce suite film (demo) | 57–64 s | 15.1–18.1 cuts/min | | Capability proof montage (teaser) | 30–72 s | 15.1–48 cuts/min | | Fifteen-second service rescue (ad) | 15 s, 4–7 shots | 12–24 cuts/min | ## What to do with it - **Default to 30–60 s** for a launch on X or YouTube; go under 30 s for a teaser and longer only with a presenter or a real workflow to show. - **Cut every 2.5–4 s** unless the format is a single take or a silent UI workflow, where the interface itself moves. - **You don't need a voiceover.** Half the films have none; let on-screen words and music carry it, centred and big. - **End on your name**, held long enough to read, then black. - **Pick the music before the cuts**: 120 BPM is the most common tempo, and cuts on the grid feel intentional. - Want exact timing? Copy a measured film's cut list with the [Refs MCP](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/refs-video-references) and [build from it](https://varg.ai/how-to/make-a-launch-video-from-a-reference). Related: [the launch video beat sheet](https://varg.ai/how-to/product-launch-video-beat-sheet), [make a SaaS launch video](https://varg.ai/how-to/make-a-saas-launch-video). ## SaaS launch and demo videos with AI agents For founders and product teams who launch on X, Product Hunt and the App Store: the launch film, the live demo, the founder video, the app preview and the feature drop, built by Claude Code, Codex or Grok from your real product UI. Start with the overview: [How to make a SaaS launch video with AI](https://varg.ai/how-to/make-a-saas-launch-video.md) **Make** - [How to make a product launch video: the beat sheet](https://varg.ai/how-to/product-launch-video-beat-sheet.md) - [How to make a launch video from a reference film](https://varg.ai/how-to/make-a-launch-video-from-a-reference.md) - [Launch video formulas: 28 formats that work](https://varg.ai/how-to/launch-video-formulas.md) - How long should a launch video be? Numbers from 1,952 films (this page) - [Launch video examples from 293 brands](https://varg.ai/how-to/launch-video-examples-by-brand.md) - [How to make an app demo video with AI](https://varg.ai/how-to/make-an-app-demo-video.md) - [How to turn release notes into a changelog video with AI](https://varg.ai/how-to/turn-release-notes-into-a-changelog-video.md) - [How to make an explainer video with AI](https://varg.ai/how-to/make-an-explainer-video.md) - [How to make a logo animation with AI](https://varg.ai/how-to/make-a-logo-animation.md) - [How to make an animated chart video with AI](https://varg.ai/how-to/make-an-animated-chart-video.md) **Edit and post** - [How to add animated captions to a video with AI](https://varg.ai/how-to/add-animated-captions-to-a-video.md) - [How to add voiceover and music to a video with AI](https://varg.ai/how-to/add-voiceover-and-music-to-a-video.md) - [How to crop a video to 9:16 vertical with FFmpeg](https://varg.ai/how-to/crop-a-video-to-vertical-with-ffmpeg.md) - [How to make YouTube video thumbnails with AI](https://varg.ai/how-to/make-youtube-video-thumbnails.md)