YouTube Shorts is the largest short-form platform by reach in 2026, and the algorithm strongly favors music posts with on-screen lyrics over plain-audio uploads. This guide covers the 3 working ways to make a Shorts music video in 2026 — the AI generator path (fastest), CapCut auto-caption (manual but free), and Premiere Pro (premium one-offs) — plus the Shorts-specific specs and monetization rules that actually move the algorithm.
Solmi — it auto-detects the lyrics, renders in YouTube Shorts' native 9:16 / 1080×1920 at 30 FPS, and exports in the right length cap (under 3 minutes) without manual edits. CapCut and Adobe Express are common manual editors if you want hand control.
Shorts cap is 3 minutes since the October 2024 update. Most successful music Shorts in 2026 land between 30–60 seconds — long enough to hook on the chorus, short enough that the algorithm replays it heavily.
Join the YouTube Partner Program (need 1,000 subs + 10M Shorts views in 90 days as of 2026), then enable Shorts monetization. Music videos need licensed audio — your own track or one generated on a Pro plan of an AI music tool that grants commercial use.
Yes on Suno's paid plans, which grant commercial use. Download the song from Suno, upload it to Solmi, render in 9:16, and post it. YouTube's Content ID won't flag your own AI-generated music.
9:16 vertical, 1080×1920 pixels. Solmi exports natively in this format; if you start in 16:9, YouTube will letterbox it and your Shorts will lose impressions.