- TikTok is testing a 1-hour video upload feature for users in select markets to compete with YouTube.
- TikTok has 1.5 billion users worldwide, and this new feature hopes to attract YouTube creators and TV networks to publish content on the platform.
TikTok is testing users uploading videos up to an hour long in some markets to compete with YouTube. The feature is currently limited to select users and there are no plans yet for a full rollout.
Impact of incremental increases in hours
Starting from the initial 15-second short videos, TikTok has gradually increased the length of uploads from 3 minutes to 10 minutes to the most recent 30 minutes, resulting in a wider variety of video genres including beauty tutorials, TV shows, etc., which are often difficult to present in their entirety without sufficient length, thus enriching the platform’s content, boosting ad revenues, and enhancing competitiveness with YouTube. By introducing the 1-hour video upload feature, TikTok hopes to attract creators accustomed to posting content on YouTube, while offering TV networks the opportunity to post the premiere of new episodes on the platform for free, thus further expanding its user base and reach. TikTok has reached 1.5 billion users worldwide.
Also read: TikTok begins automatically labeling AI-generated content
Also read: TikTok Shop introduces secondhand luxury fashion line in the UK
Whether it has an impact on social media
A certain impact on the distribution of the social media landscape, the increase in video duration may change users’ expectations of the platform’s content, increase user engagement, and provide creators with more creative freedom. By constantly creating new features, it can attract more user engagement and enrich the user experience.From a commercialisation perspective by increasing video duration, TikTok may provide brands with richer advertising and sponsorship opportunities on social media, which in turn increases revenue.
