TikTok is weighing major changes to the type of content it serves, as evidenced by a new test being conducted today.
According to TechCrunch's Aisha Malik, the test allows some users to upload videos up to 60 minutes long. This is a significant increase from the current three-minute limit, which could have major implications for TikTok's future ambitions.
Will hour-long videos work on TikTok?
TikTok is no stranger to adjusting the time limit for video content. The current 3-minute limit. ran for a while before being changed to a 10 minute limit and then back to 3. After launch, 15 seconds was TikTok's sweet spot.
Small changes in video length can certainly impact a service's trajectory and the type of content it provides. But supporting 60-minute videos is a much bigger deal, one that could lead to massive transformation of the social media platform.
Malik writes:
TikTok says that while creators can stitch together multi-part stories by inviting viewers to skip to a second or more part of the story, it often hears from creators who need more time for things like cooking demonstrations, beauty tutorials, educational lesson plans, comedy sketches and more.
The purpose of the extension is to give creators the opportunity to experiment with new or expanded types of content with more flexibility, the company says. Of course, this puts TikTok in even more direct competition with YouTube.
This last sentence is especially important. If TikTok enters the YouTube market, it could become YouTube's first serious competitor in years.
Can it succeed? Or will it sacrifice the uniqueness of the service by opening the floodgates to long-form content?
9to5Mac's Opinion
We don't We know how many users are participating in this 60-minute test, but the existence of the test at all shows that TikTok is serious about transforming its brand. Although the company has earned a reputation as the king of short-form video content, it seems that this is no longer enough for it.
