TikTok isn’t letting some drama with the US government stop it from innovating.
In fact, the platform could be encroaching upon YouTube’s territory with 60-minute long videos being possible now for some creators.
So you could call it a limited trial at this point but it’s part of a larger trend we’ve witnessed over the past several years that favors long-form content. Such a move would broaden the potential creative options and thus grow the base of potential users in theory.
TechCrunch reports that TikTok is experimenting with the expanded format to give creators more options in terms of uploads.
Some of you might be thinking to yourself that such an expanded time limit brings TikTok in line not only with YouTube but streaming services and that would be correct. TechCrunch noted how television shows are utilizing YouTube to air first episodes and more to bring in new viewers.
And there’s the whole thing about it being limited so this kind of long-form content might never be widely available as an upload for average users. On top of that, and as we alluded to in the beginning of the article, there’s a question around the platform’s availability in the United States (a major market) moving forward.
Facing the choice between spinning off the US division as its own company or hoping for a resolution through the court system, TikTok is facing some uphill battles outside of the already hotly contested social media landscape. As more people copy the format, and the business environment becomes less friendly, you have to wonder about the health of the creator ecosystem in general given the level of uncertainty around the future.
Any thoughts you might have on long-form videos on platforms like TikTok and Instagram are welcome in the comments below.
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