TikTok is starting to roll out a new feature to users: they will be able to upload videos up to 10 minutes long, the company has confirmed. The official launch comes as TikTok has been testing the change for the past several months. Previously, TikTok videos could be up to 3 minutes long after a change made in July 2021. Before that, the limit was 60 seconds after an initial expansion from 15 seconds.
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“We’re always thinking of new ways to bring value to our community and enrich the TikTok experience. Last year, we introduced longer videos, giving our community more time to create and have fun on TikTok,” a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement. “Today, we’re excited to begin rolling out the ability to upload videos up to 10 minutes long, which we hope will unlock even more creative possibilities for our creators around the world.”.
The expanded video length will give creators more time and flexibility when filming things like cooking demonstrations, beauty tutorials, educational content, comedy skits, and more. Before the new video length, creators had been working around TikTok’s limitations by encouraging viewers to follow them for part 2 of their video series. While this sometimes works, it can be frustrating for users to have to scroll through a creator’s feed to find the next video.
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Today's announcement makes TikTok an even bigger competitor to YouTube, which brought in $28.8 billion in ad revenue in 2021. YouTube, however, has been threatened enough by TikTok's growth to launch YouTube Shorts. However, hosting short videos isn't TikTok's only strength, as it's known for its mix of features, including a library of special effects, AR tools, and music catalog.
YouTube wasn't the only social media app to take notice of TikTok's threat, as Instagram launched its TikTok clone, Instagram Reels, in 2020. Since then, Instagram has released several Reels features that are similar to TikTok's.
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TikTok says the option to download longer videos in the app will roll out globally in the coming weeks. Users will be notified when they receive the update. They should also make sure they are using the latest version of TikTok before trying the feature.
Information source: techcrunch.com
