Get Ready for 10-Minute TikToks
By: Shayna Griffith
Staff Writer
TikTok is by far one of the most popular social media apps in the world. With hundreds of millions of users worldwide, TikTok has shaped internet culture over the past few years--from memes, trends, and especially music. Part of what made TikTok unique from other social media is the quick, bite-sized videos users share. Back in July, the platform increased the video length to allow for up to three minutes of video, two minutes longer than originally allowed. Now, however, TikTok is undergoing major structural changes and users will start to see 10-minute videos.
The change was announced on February 28, with a spokesperson of TikTok saying, “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.”
Many users of the platform are skeptical if the change will actually be a success, since so many users are used to content shorter in length. A vital reason TikTok has become as popular as it is, some users say, is due to its currency and easily-consumable content brought right to your ‘For You page’. Social media consultant and analyst Matt Navarra told The Verge, “TikTok is creeping in on YouTube territory. They 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.”
Other users say the new 10-minute video format will allow for ease of use, and eliminate the dreaded hassle of forcing a video to fit in such a short amount of time.
Despite the criticisms of the recent change, TikTok is an undeniably massive social media platform, with over one billion active monthly users. It is unlikely that the increased video length will push users away from the platform.