TikTok is experimenting with allowing users to upload 60-minute videos, the company confirmed to TechCrunch on Thursday. This feature is currently available to a limited group of users in select markets, and TikTok has no immediate plans for a wider rollout.
First noticed by social media consultant Matt Navarra, this new feature represents a significant shift from TikTok’s original format. Initially, the app supported 15-second videos, but over the years, TikTok has gradually extended this limit. Although the platform gained fame for its short-form video format, it has been increasingly accommodating long-form content to compete more directly with YouTube.
According to TikTok, creators often express a desire for more time to produce various types of content, such as cooking demos, beauty tutorials, educational lessons, and comedic sketches. The extended video length aims to give creators more flexibility to experiment with new or expanded content types, further positioning TikTok against YouTube. By allowing 60-minute videos, TikTok likely hopes that creators who usually post on YouTube will also share their content on its platform.
The new time limit could also pave the way for different content types, such as full episodes of TV shows. Last year, Peacock made the first episode of “Killing It” available on TikTok for free, divided into five parts. With a 60-minute limit, networks wouldn’t need to split episodes into multiple segments.
Many networks already post the first episode of TV shows on YouTube to attract viewers. With the extended time limit, they could adopt a similar strategy on TikTok. Networks are already leveraging TikTok to reach new audiences, and the increased upload time could encourage them to share even more content on the platform.
While not everyone may be interested in watching longer videos on TikTok, the company has been enhancing the viewing experience for such content. For example, TikTok has tested a horizontal full-screen mode and video-scrubbing thumbnails. It also introduced a feature last year that allows users to fast-forward videos by holding down the right side of the screen.
As with any experimental feature, it’s unclear when or if TikTok will make the 60-minute video upload option available to all users.
