Some TikTok users can now upload 60-minute videos

TikTok is considering big changes to the type of content the platform offers, as evidenced by a new test launched today.

According to Aisha Malik at TechCrunch, the test allows some users to upload videos up to 60 minutes in length. This is a big increase over the current 3-minute limit and could have big implications for TikTok's future ambitions.

Do hour-long videos work on TikTok?

TikTok is no stranger to adjusting time limits for video content. The current 3-minute limit was in place for a while before being increased to 10 minutes, eventually returning to 3 minutes. When launched, the 15-second duration was TikTok's selling point.

Making small adjustments to video length can certainly have an impact on the trajectory of the service and the type of content the platform offers. But supporting 60-minute videos is a much bigger deal, potentially ushering in a massive transformation for the social media platform.

Malik wrote:

TikTok says that while creators can weave multi-part stories together by asking viewers to skip to part two or other parts of the story, they often receive feedback that creators want more time for things like cooking, beauty tutorials, lesson plans, funny sketches, etc.

The company said the purpose of the increased time limit is to give creators the opportunity to test new or expanded content types with more flexibility. Of course, this puts TikTok in direct competition with YouTube.

If TikTok pursues the same market as YouTube, the platform could become YouTube's first serious competitor in years. Can TikTok be successful? Or will the platform sacrifice the uniqueness of its service after extending the video length?

It's unknown how many users were in this 60-minute video test, but the presence of one suggests TikTok is getting serious about changing its brand identity. Despite building a reputation as the king of short-form video content, it seems that's no longer enough for the company.

Marvin Fry

Update 17 May 2024