TikTok tests 60-minute videos

TikTok is giving some users the ability to post hour-long videos. The app is running a test that expands its maximum upload length from ten minutes all the way up to 60.

Matt Navarra, a consultant who is known for spotting new features on social media platforms, was among the first people to notice the 60-minute runtime test. TikTok later confirmed to TechCrunch that some users now have access to hour-long content. While any creator could potentially benefit from posting long-form videos, that format is particularly useful in categories like beauty, cooking, education, and comedy.

Though TikTok used short-form content to put itself on the map, it has progressively increased the maximum runtime of its videos. The uptick to ten minutes arrived in 2022. Two years later, Navarra spotted a test that bumped the max up to 30 minutes.

By doubling that parameter once again, TikTok is supporting its ongoing investment in long-form products. The Creator Rewards Program

, which was launched last year as the Creativity Program, is designed for creators who post highly engaging content that runs for more than a minute. In the early days of the program, TikTok noted that creators who post long-form videos grow five times faster than those who don’t.

TikTok’s step across the one-hour threshold enables new types of content on the platform. The app has partnered with studios to distribute full episodes from shows like The Sopranos. Previously, those episodes had to be split across multiple short videos; now, in theory, they can exist as a single upload.

Podcasting is another category that makes use of super-long videos. By encouraging creators to syndicate video podcasts on its platform, YouTube has become a hotspot for audio shows. TikTok has not displayed much interest in podcasting (at least not publicly), but that door is now open at the ByteDance-owned app.

The bottom line is that TikTok is paying attention to YouTube’s success on TV screens. It’s chasing TV-style content of its own, and this test looks like a step in that direction.