Image credit: TikTok
TikTok has started rolling out 10-minute downloads on TikTok, but is it a good idea and how can I see if I’ve received the update?
After months of testing, in July last year TikTok increased the upload time from one minute to three minutes for all creators. Starting this week, TikTok started streaming ten-minute videos to users. Many on TikTok’s latest update received the following notification. To see if you can download longer videos, update the app, go to your Mailbox and check for the following account update.
We are 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 entertain on TikTok. Today, we’re excited to start rolling out the ability to upload videos up to 10 minutes in length, which we hope will open up even more creative possibilities for our creators around the world.
A spokesperson in a statement to The Verge
Although this decision seems somewhat inevitable, since all video platforms (YouTube, Instagram, etc.) seem to share features across the board, is TikTok the right place for longer videos. TikTok still dominates the short-form video market, thanks in part to its place on the custom algorithm, tailoring stream suggestions to users’ tastes. We do not know if this decision will pay off. As with the announcement of three-minute video downloads, much of the online response to this move has been negative, but the rollout in July last year certainly didn’t hurt TikTok’s growth. As we discussed with the increase last year, TikTok may need to implement a video length indicator if longer videos are to be incorporated into the main feed.
Many creators starting out on TikTok move to YouTube as their audience grows for a more sustainable source of income through the YouTube Partners Program. YouTube’s revenue share gives millions of creators a much clearer views-to-money ratio, rather than the mystery box that is TikTok’s Creator Fund. TikTok can’t generate that much ad revenue as long as it continues to focus only on short videos. The video below from Hank Green explains why the TikTok Creator Fund is problematic.
RouteNote helps artists upload their own music and monetize it for free on short-form video platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, as well as all major streaming services.
