TikTok is Coming For YouTube: App Boosts Longer, Horizontal Videos
TikTok appears to be coming for YouTube — after the company was spotted incentivizing creators to start posting horizontal, longer videos.
According to a report by The Verge, TikTok is looking to attract longer-form video creators who normally post content on YouTube.
@candicedchap Replying to @Kaloneal #longervideo #horizontal #tiktoktips ♬ original sound – Just call me Sunshine 🌞
The traditionally vertical video platform has reportedly offered creators the opportunity to “boost” videos that are horizontal and more than a minute long.
TikTok creators @Candicedchap and @kenlyealtumbiz shared screenshots of the prompt they received from the ByteDance-owned app. In the prompts, TikTok said that it would boost the creators’ longer, horizontal videos within 72 hours of posting.
“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,” the screenshot reads.
Creators who’ve been on TikTok for more than three months will be eligible for the viewership boost, as long as the videos are not ads or from political parties.
The Verge reports that it reached out to TikTok for additional information but didn’t immediately hear back.
TikTok’s Transformation into YouTube
TikTok initially became popular as a short-form video platform, but the app has gradually been embracing long-form content and competing head-on with YouTube.
In February last year, TikTok announced it would be extending the maximum video length from three to 10 minutes. Before that, the limit was 60 seconds after initially expanding from 15 seconds.
Then in October, TikTok confirmed it is testing the ability for users to upload 15-minute videos — in a further move to take on YouTube.
And last week, TechCrunch reported that TikTok was spotted testing the ability for users to upload 30-minute videos, signaling the app’s most significant move away from the short-form video format to date.
Meanwhile, YouTube has also attempted to take on TikTok’s domination in terms of short-form video.
In the past year, YouTube has launched a new tool that allows creators to turn their existing longer videos into “Shorts”. It has also allowed content creators using YouTube Shorts to monetize their short-form videos.
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.
