If three minutes was not long enough for you, TikTok is now giving its users the ability to extend uploads length to 10 minutes. The company announced the update on Monday in what is seen as a major shift from the short-form content it was known for.
“We’re always thinking about new ways to bring value to our community and enrich the TikTok experience,” a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement to The Verge. “Last year, we introduced longer videos, giving our community more time to create and be entertained on TikTok. Today, we’re excited to start rolling out the ability to upload videos that are up to 10 minutes, which we hope would unleash even more creative possibilities for our creators around the world.”
The update for 10 minutes uploads will roll out globally which will mean increased competition for YouTube. It remains to be seen how the TikTok community would use the longer upload length or how the company would position it on the app. Speaking about the update to TheVerge, social media consultant Matt Navarra said longer-form content is, in general, “easier to monetize and keeps people on platform longer.” On the positioning of longer uploads, he said the company “could do with a dedicated home for longer-form content as [it] doesn’t sit so well in the vertical feed with shorter stuff people are used to whizzing through at speed.”
TikTok’s success with short-form content spurred its competition to come up with similar innovations. Instagram started Reels and is now the company’s fastest-growing content format, while YouTube began Shorts so its users could share viral short-form content.


