TikTok ups video limit to 3 minutes as competition heats up

Move toward longer format comes as YouTube and Instagram go shorter

The line between short- and long-format video is blurring, with YouTube and Instagram launching their own TikTok-like features and TikTok allowing longer video uploads. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)

YIFAN YU, Nikkei staff writer

July 2, 2021 12:37 JST

PALO ALTO, U.S. -- TikTok, the online platform known for hosting super-short videos, is edging into longer-format territory as competition in user-generated videos heats up.

The company, owned by China's ByteDance, announced on Thursday that users will be able to upload 3-minute clips, triple the platform's original limit. Last week ByteDance launched a web version of Douyin -- the Chinese version of TikTok -- as part of its broader push into the longer-form video market.