A 45-second news-style YouTube Shorts script runs roughly 128 to 143 words. That's our own arithmetic, based on the speaking pace listeners rated normal in one radio-news study. Split those words into four parts: a hook line, three facts with sources, why it matters, and a sign-off.
This guide covers the word budget, how to write each part, a fill-in template and two worked examples. The script structure works the same on TikTok and Reels. The length limit we mention is YouTube's, so check each platform's own rules.
The short version
- One Spanish-language radio-news study found a normal pace of about 170 to 190 words per minute. By our math, that's about 128 to 143 words for 45 seconds.
- Time a read-aloud of every script. Your voice, or an AI voice, can run faster or slower than that range.
- Use four parts: hook line, three facts, why it matters, sign-off.
- Give each fact one source, and name the source before the claim.
- Keep sentences to 20 words or fewer, with one idea each, as broadcast writing guides advise.
- 45 seconds is a choice, not a limit. Shorts can run up to 3 minutes.
How many words fit in a 45-second Short
Plan on roughly 128 to 143 words for 45 seconds of narration. That range comes from one speech-rate study, plus our own arithmetic.
The study is Rodero's "Influence of Speech Rate and Information Density on Recognition," published in Media Psychology. We read it through a summary on Journalist's Resource, from Harvard's Shorenstein Center, because the paper itself wasn't accessible to us.
In the study, 200 communication students heard one-minute news clips from a Spanish public radio station. They rated 150 words per minute as slow, about 170 to 190 as normal, and 210 as fast. Clips at 170 to 190 words per minute were also the best remembered, whatever their information density.
Keep the caveat in mind. These were Spanish-language radio news clips, so treat the range as a planning number, not a rule for English speech.
Here's our arithmetic. 170 to 190 words per minute works out to about 2.8 to 3.2 words per second. Multiply by the length you want:
| Script length | Words at 170 per minute | Words at 190 per minute |
|---|---|---|
| 30 seconds | about 85 | about 95 |
| 45 seconds | about 128 | about 143 |
| 60 seconds | about 170 | about 190 |
Broadcast writing guidance lands close to this. A UF/IFAS Extension guide to news writing for TV and radio says a 30-second story should run no more than about 100 words.
Time a read-aloud
Treat the word count as a target for your first draft, then time the script out loud. The UF/IFAS guide gives the same advice: read the script aloud to time it. AI voices vary in pace, and so do people, so your recording is the number that counts.
If the read runs long, we recommend cutting words instead of speeding up the voice. The study points the same way. Recall was lowest for dense clips at 230 words per minute, and for low-density clips at 150.
45 seconds is a choice, not a cap
YouTube lets Shorts run up to 3 minutes for uploads from October 15, 2024. So 45 seconds isn't a limit. It's a length that fits a hook, three facts and a close without padding.
YouTube doesn't publish a rule for script length. Pick the length your story needs, and build the word budget from there.
The 4-part structure for a news Short
A fixed shape helps you write fast, and it gives the listener a pattern to follow. A news Short fits this one:
- Hook line: the news in one plain sentence.
- Three facts: the details, each tied to one named source.
- Why it matters: what changes for the viewer.
- Sign-off: what to watch next, where the sources are, or a follow line.
Broadcast writing guides add rules that apply to every part. The UF/IFAS guide asks for "short sentences of 20 words or less," and says "Each sentence should focus on one particular idea."
The News Manual, a guide for working journalists, sets the same 20-word limit "except in unusual circumstances." It allows one or two concepts per sentence.
The UF/IFAS guide also asks for active voice. It says to round numbers unless the exact figure matters. Write for the ear: if a sentence needs a second listen, split it.
How to write the hook line
The hook line states the news in plain words, in one sentence. Aim for 12 to 15 words: who or what, what changed, and when.
Creator advice on YouTube's blog points the same way. In a 2023 creator story, Sydney Morgan says the first 3 seconds should be "thumb-stopping." She adds that they should make clear what viewers are about to watch. That's one creator's advice, not a YouTube rule, but it suits news well. Our guide to the first 3 seconds of a short covers the opening in more depth.
A few habits help the hook line do that job:
- Lead with the change, not the background.
- Name the place or group, so the right viewers know it's about them.
- Use a concrete detail, like a date, place or number, instead of a hype word.
- If a claim is unconfirmed or disputed, say who's making it.
For example, take an invented city. Compare these two openers:
- Weak: Big news for bus riders today.
- Stronger: Northfield's night buses will stop at midnight, starting Monday.
The stronger line tells viewers what changed, where and when, in 9 words. If your hook comes in short, give the spare words to the facts. For more opening patterns, see our hook examples for shorts. They're written for clips cut from footage, but many carry over to a scripted line.
How to write facts with sources
Each of the three facts gets about 28 to 30 words, usually two short sentences. Each fact also gets exactly one source, named at the start.
One source per fact
One source per fact keeps the script traceable. When a viewer asks where a number came from, you can point to one document.
Prefer the primary source: the council notice, the court filing, the company's own statement. Link every source in the video description. Our guide to faceless news shorts covers the fact-checking and image-rights steps around the script.
If two sources disagree, give each one its own fact and its own attribution. Don't blend them into a single line.
Put the attribution first
Name the source before the claim. The News Manual says "Attribution in radio and television goes at the front of a sentence," because listeners need to know who is speaking first. The UF/IFAS guide gives the same rule, with titles placed before names.
The invented bus story shows the difference, as an illustration:
- Print order: Night buses will stop at midnight, the transit authority said.
- Broadcast order: The transit authority says night buses will stop at midnight.
After the first mention, keep the attribution light. "It says" or "the authority says" is enough.
How to close: why it matters and the sign-off
Spend the last 10 to 12 seconds on what the news means for the viewer, then stop.
Why it matters (22 to 25 words)
Write this line to one viewer, in the second person. It answers the question they'd ask next: so what?
Stay inside your facts. If your sources don't support a prediction, don't make one. "You'll need a plan for Fridays" is fine. "This will change school forever" isn't.
The sign-off (10 to 13 words)
Keep it short. Point to the next date to watch, say where the sources are, or invite viewers to follow.
A sign-off that mentions your sources also tells viewers where to check you. Skip a long call to action, since every extra word comes out of your facts.
Fill-in template for a 45-second Shorts script
Here's the whole budget in one table. The seconds assume about 3 words per second, the middle of our range, so time your own read.
| Part | Words | About how long | What to write |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hook line | 12 to 15 | 4 to 5 seconds | The news in one plain sentence: who, what changed, when |
| Fact 1 | 28 to 30 | about 10 seconds | Source first, then the main detail |
| Fact 2 | 28 to 30 | about 10 seconds | Source first, then the cause, cost or numbers |
| Fact 3 | 28 to 30 | about 10 seconds | Source first, then a reaction or the open question |
| Why it matters | 22 to 25 | about 8 seconds | What changes for the viewer |
| Sign-off | 10 to 13 | 3 to 4 seconds | Next date, where the sources are, or a follow line |
| Total | 128 to 143 | about 45 seconds | Read it aloud and cut to fit |
If you'd rather paste a short video script template into your notes app, use this flat version:
- Hook line (12 to 15 words): [Place or group] [is doing what] [when].
- Fact 1 (28 to 30 words): According to [source], [main detail]. [One supporting detail].
- Fact 2 (28 to 30 words): [Source] says [cause, cost or number, rounded]. [What that means in plain words].
- Fact 3 (28 to 30 words): [Source] said [reaction or open question]. [One more detail].
- Why it matters (22 to 25 words): If you [are affected], [what changes for you].
- Sign-off (10 to 13 words): [Next date or where the sources are]. [Follow line].
Format the script for the voiceover
Put each sentence on its own line. The News Manual advises ending script lines at natural pauses.
Write numbers the way you'll say them, and round them where the exact figure doesn't matter. Then read the script aloud, time it and trim.
After you record the voiceover and build the video, add word-timed captions in your editor. If you cut the Short from a longer recording in Hookspring, open the Captions tab in the Editor and pick the News template. The captions are word-timed and editable line by line, so check names and numbers against your script. Our guide to captions for shorts covers size, safe zones and timing.
Two example scripts
Both examples are illustrations. The towns, groups and figures are invented, and nothing in them is a real quote. Each one follows the template's word budget.
Example 1: a library drops late fees (135 words)
- Hook line (14 words): Harlow's library is dropping late fees next month, and old fines get wiped too.
- Fact 1 (28 words): According to the city council's meeting notice, the change starts on the first of next month. It covers every branch, and it applies to books, DVDs and laptops.
- Fact 2 (30 words): The library director told the council that fines cost more to collect than they bring in. She said about one in five cardholders have stopped borrowing because of old fines.
- Fact 3 (28 words): The Harlow Ledger, the local paper, reports that lost items will still be charged. Lose a book and you'll pay to replace it, but late returns cost nothing.
- Why it matters (23 words): If you've avoided the library because of an old fine, that barrier is gone. Your card works again, and so does your kid's.
- Sign-off (12 words): Check your account online after the first. Follow for more Harlow news.
Every fact opens with its source: the council notice, the library director, then the local paper. No sentence runs past 20 words.
Example 2: a school district moves to a four-day week (134 words)
- Hook line (14 words): Lakeview schools are moving to a four-day week this fall, and Fridays are off.
- Fact 1 (28 words): According to the board's minutes, members approved the plan four to one on Tuesday night. The vote came after two public meetings with parents, teachers and bus drivers.
- Fact 2 (28 words): The district's budget report says the shorter week would save about a million dollars a year. Most of the savings would come from buses, heating and substitute teachers.
- Fact 3 (28 words): The teachers' union said in a statement that it backs the plan, as long as yearly pay stays the same. It wants that promise in the next contract.
- Why it matters (25 words): If you have kids in Lakeview schools, you'll need a plan for Fridays once the school year starts. Start looking at Friday child care now.
- Sign-off (11 words): The plan starts with the new school year. Follow for updates.
Fact 2 rounds the savings, as the UF/IFAS guide advises. Fact 3 gives the union its own fact, instead of mixing its view with the district's.
At 2.8 to 3.2 words per second, 134 words lands at about 42 to 48 seconds. That's our arithmetic, so time your own read before you record.
The takeaway
A 45-second news Short is a small, fixed budget: about 128 to 143 words by our math, split across four parts. Name each source first, keep sentences short, and time a read-aloud before you record.
Copy the template, fill it with your next story, and cut until it fits. Hookspring's Idea → video flow for faceless and news shorts is coming soon.
FAQ
How many words is a 45-second Shorts script?
About 128 to 143 words, by our arithmetic. That's based on the 170 to 190 words per minute listeners rated normal in one Spanish-language radio-news study. For 60 seconds, the same math gives about 170 to 190 words. Time a read-aloud to check.
How do you write a script for YouTube Shorts?
For a news Short, use four parts: a hook line, three sourced facts, why it matters and a sign-off. Keep sentences to 20 words or fewer, and name each source before its claim. Then read the script aloud to time it.
Is there a YouTube Shorts script template?
You can use the fill-in template above. It budgets 12 to 15 words for the hook and 28 to 30 for each fact. Why it matters gets 22 to 25 words, and the sign-off gets 10 to 13.
How long should a YouTube Short be?
Shorts can run up to 3 minutes for uploads from October 15, 2024. YouTube doesn't publish a rule for script length. Choose the length your story needs. A three-fact news story fits in about 45 seconds.
Can I use AI to write Shorts scripts?
Yes. YouTube's March 2024 post on disclosing AI content says using AI to write a script doesn't need a disclosure. Its monetization policies still list AI content made with "generic or unoriginal templates" as not monetizable. Our guide to YouTube's inauthentic content policy explains where that line sits. Rewrite any AI draft in your voice, and check each fact against its source.
Written and maintained by the Hookspring team. Spot an error or something out of date? Email hello@hookspring.com.
Sources
- Speech rate and information density in radio news (summary of Rodero, Media Psychology), Journalist's Resource, Harvard Shorenstein Center, retrieved 2026-10-18
- News Writing for Television and Radio (WC193), UF/IFAS Extension, retrieved 2026-10-18
- Chapter 48: Writing for radio and television, The News Manual, retrieved 2026-10-18
- YouTube Shorts length (up to 3 minutes), YouTube Help, retrieved 2026-10-18
- How Sydney Morgan creates the smoothest makeup transformations, YouTube Official Blog, retrieved 2026-10-18
- How we're helping creators disclose altered or synthetic content, YouTube Official Blog, retrieved 2026-10-18
- YouTube channel monetization policies, YouTube Help, retrieved 2026-10-18
