TikTok adding videos up to an hour long!
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In a drastic move away from their origins, TikTok are experimenting with long-form videos up to an hour on their app.
TikTok is one of the world’s most popular apps. They’ve captured the attention of millions around the world with their format of short, vertical videos in which you can get lost
However, TikTok have slowly been moving away from what distinguished them in the world of video and social media. First, they started experimenting with up to 3-minute long videos, but staying true to their format. Now, Premium content can be up to 20 minutes long.
In a dramatic shift from their original content basis, TikTok are now experimenting with videos as long as an hour. In an update to some users they write: “Upload videos up to 60 minutes long!”
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TIkTok inspired competitors like Instagram and YouTube to get in on the short content trend with Reels and Shorts. Now, as TikTok expand they seem to be going in the opposite direction with longer form content.
With their longer content comes horizontal video which TikTok have been encouraging, pushing their platform towards content more like competitor YouTube’s. TikTok told some creators that they would receive a “boost” for sharing horizontal video.
TikTok’s push towards longer video sees the demonetisation of the shorter videos that made their platform so popular. Their new Creator Rewards Program allows creator to monetise only content that is a minute or longer.
Whilst it makes sense for TikTok to broaden their content to enhance viewability and expand the types of content they can host, it seems strange that they are deprioritising the format that made them who they are. Meanwhile, other platforms who followed the short, vertical format are seeing success. YouTube Shorts now average over 70 billion daily views.