The update is the latest effort by the Chinese-owned social media platform to expand its product offerings as user growth slows. When it first launched, the platform only allowed creators to post 60-second videos. The limit is now 10 minutes for all users, and 15 for some creators. TikTok competitors Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts offer similar upload lengths.
The test puts TikTok in the same weight class as YouTube. It would let content creators upload videos that require longer durations, like in-depth tutorials or family and college vlogs, which are popular on YouTube.
YouTube beats TikTok in terms of overall users in the US. More than 80 per cent of US adults told Pew Research Center last year that they had ever used YouTube, while 33 per cent had used TikTok. The short-form platform’s users skew young: 62 per cent of 18- to 29-year-olds told Pew they use TikTok, and 93 per cent of users in the same age bracket use YouTube.
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TikTok grooves to upbeat North Korean propaganda song praising Kim Jong-un
TikTok grooves to upbeat North Korean propaganda song praising Kim Jong-un
But TikTok is ahead of YouTube by minutes watched: Last year, Business Insider sister company eMarketer predicted that in 2024, adult TikTok users would average 55 minutes per day on the platform – five minutes more than YouTube’s average.
“Because of TikTok’s shorter content, the platform risks users discovering clipped content and leaving the platform to watch the full version on YouTube,” eMarketer analyst Sara Lebow wrote in December. “Increasing video length could prevent a user from watching half of a video essay on TikTok and finishing the content on YouTube.”
Last week, Business Insider reported that Google leaders are encouraging employees who sell ads to capitalise on the possibility of a US TikTok ban by having “thoughtful conversation” with clients about the ban.
TikTok did not immediately respond for comment.
The longer video feature may also threaten streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+. TikTok has a vast library of unofficially uploaded short clips from popular television shows and films, which users binge-watch to see the show in full. Access to longer videos of shows may make this activity more commonplace.
Television networks are tapping into TikTok, too. Last year, streaming platform Peacock uploaded a pilot episode of its comedy show “Killing It” to TikTok. The episode, which was uploaded in five parts, received millions of views. A longer video duration would mean episodes can be uploaded in one go, and viewership may shift from streaming services to TikTok.