Short answer: there is no current Sora video length because the product and API have been discontinued. Before shutdown, OpenAI documented generations up to 20 seconds and a separate extension workflow. Those figures are historical context, not a product setting you can select today.
Sora Shutdown Timeline
April 26, 2026
OpenAI discontinued the Sora web and app experiences and directed existing creators to the sunset flow for content export.
September 24, 2026
OpenAI shut down the Videos API and the Sora 2 and Sora 2 Pro model families.
Today
Sora duration numbers describe a retired workflow. A new production plan needs a currently available tool and a verified delivery method.
OpenAI records both shutdowns in its Sora discontinuation notice and lists the API removal in the official API deprecations page.
How Long Were Sora Videos Before the Shutdown?
OpenAI expanded the Sora API in March 2026 to support generations up to 20 seconds. The same update included video extensions, so creators could continue a completed clip instead of asking one prompt to carry an entire story.
A 20-second generated clip and a longer video built through extensions were different claims: the first described a single generation, while the second described a multi-step workflow. OpenAI's API changelog is the source for that historical 20-second capability.
Historical information
Do not plan a new project around the old limits
The 20-second setting and extension endpoint are no longer available through the retired Sora API. Check a current tool's documentation and delivery flow before committing a client timeline.
What to Use for a Longer AI Video Now
Choose the finished runtime first
Decide whether the deliverable is one short clip, a 30-second story, an exact 60-second placement, or a multi-minute edit. A model's single-generation limit is only one part of that decision.
Separate native clips from assembled delivery
Ask whether the advertised duration is produced in one model call, through an extension feature, or by assembling connected scenes. Each workflow has different continuity and review requirements.
Verify the handoff between scenes
Keep the visible subject, setting, light, motion direction, and audio plan stable. Review the transition instead of assuming a longer preset guarantees continuity.
Check the final file
Watch the complete export with sound and confirm its actual duration, aspect ratio, and playback before publishing or delivery.
Sora vs AI Long Video: A Current Workflow Difference
Sora is now a retired OpenAI product and API. AI Long Video is an active finished-video workflow: 30 seconds uses one native Seedance 2.5 generation, while 60 seconds uses two connected 30-second scenes. The first scene's final frame starts the continuation, and the backend assembles one downloadable MP4.
This does not mean two generated scenes are identical to one native 60-second model call. It means the customer receives a finished file while the scene join remains something to review.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a Sora AI video be?
You can no longer create a new Sora video. OpenAI discontinued the Sora web and app experiences on April 26, 2026, and shut down the Sora API on September 24, 2026.
What was Sora's maximum video length before shutdown?
OpenAI's March 2026 changelog documented generations up to 20 seconds, plus video extensions. That is a historical capability, not a currently available Sora option.
Can I still use the Sora API?
No. OpenAI's official deprecation notice lists the Videos API, sora-2, and sora-2-pro as shut down on September 24, 2026.
How can I make a 30- or 60-second AI video without Sora?
Use a current video workflow that either creates a longer native clip or assembles connected scenes. AI Long Video offers one native 30-second Seedance 2.5 scene or two connected 30-second scenes assembled into one 60-second MP4.
Build beyond a retired tool
Choose a Current Video Workflow
Compare current clip limits, extension options, and finished-delivery methods before you spend credits or promise a runtime.
Compare AI video durations →