TikTok, likely in an effort to rival YouTube, is emphasizing new horizontal video formats as well as supporting videos that last up to 30 minutes long.
The appeal of TikTok has long been short-form video, and the vertical videos in an algorithmic feed skyrocketed the app to be ridiculously popular, even de-throning Google as the world’s most-visited website. But, now, it seems TikTok has its sights set on more traditional video formats where YouTube dominates.
As TechCrunch reported earlier this month, TikTok has started rolling out the ability to upload videos up to 30 minutes in length. The option showed up in both iOS and Android beta versions of TikTok and would double the current maximum video length. Originally, TikTok limited content to 15 seconds or less before later expanding to 60 seconds, three minutes, 10 minutes, and the current 15 minutes that’s been in testing for a few months.
But, perhaps a more telling push to rival YouTube is TikTok’s “boosting” of horizontal videos.
The vast majority of content on TikTok is optimized for a vertical screen, but the social media app is now pushing some users to publish horizontal content with the promise of “boosting” that content. This was spotted by Matt Navarra on Threads (who also first spotted the 30-minute test). TikTok explains in a pop-up that a new “Video View Booster” program gives content creators a chance to get additional views by posting videos in landscape that are over 1 minute in length.
Post videos over 1 minute in landscape to get increased views.
Landscape videos, where the width is greater than the height and are over 1 minute in length, are the only ones eligible to receive increased views.
Post by @mattnavarraView on Threads
Notably, this comes not long after TikTok rolled out a revamped landscape UI for Android foldables, tablets, and other large-screen devices.
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