In an effort to boost the potential for longform video on its platform, TikTok has confirmed that it is currently testing a new 15-minute upload option. By expanding video length limit by five minutes, TikTok’s home feed will stoke further competition with YouTube.
The news was first spotted by social media expert Matt Navarra, who posted a screenshot of a relevant TikTok message titled “Upload longer videos.”
“Upload videos up to 15 minutes long! Make sure your app is up-to-date, then try uploading from your app or desktop on tiktok.com,” the test message read.
TikTok’s meteoric rise in popularity, especially among Gen Z users, can be largely attributed to its development of short-form video, which every leading social-media app has reproduced in various forms. Nonstop entertainment provided via a swipeable feed powered by an unbeatable algorithm has helped the company onboard over one billion active users across the globe, along with ventures into diverse markets, like music and ecommerce.
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However, over the past few years, TikTok has been stretching its upload limits to help diversify its content output.
Starting out with 15-second clips, the platform extended uploads to one-minute, then three-minutes, five minutes, and in February 2022, 10 minutes.
In March of this year, TikTok also introduced 20-minute video uploads as part of its TikTok Series feature, which allows eligible creators in specific markets to place longform videos behind a paywall as premium content for subscribers.
Furthermore, Douyin, TikTok’s Chinese doppelganger, expanded its upload limit to 30 minutes last year.
TikTok's new test looks to extend the upload limit to 15 minutes for all its users. The company is not only following in the footsteps of its Chinese doppelganger Douyin, which expanded its upload limit to 30 minutes last year, but likely assumes that with longer videos, users may spend more time in the app, with more potential for various advertising types.
Once launched, this change will enhance TikTok's competition with longform video mainstay YouTube, potentially luring more longform creators to the platform. It must be noted that both companies continue to copy one another, with YouTube launching its Shorts feature in 2020 as a response to TikTok’s sudden rise in popularity among users and advertisers.