Is TikTok Turning into YouTube?

TikTok is transitioning from short videos to longer ones. Content creators are finding it hard to work due to the latest added 15-minute vidoes.

The short-form content arms race began when TikTok gained popularity in 2020. Its brief comedic or dance videos offered much-needed amusement to many users during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Suddenly, social media giants like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and others were racing to release similar products. They encouraged users to create one-minute videos, which would be vertically arranged in a scrolling feed, featuring an endless supply of suggested content. Over the subsequent years, these platforms strived to match TikTok’s level of popularity, particularly among the crucial teen demographic.

However, the pioneer of short-form video, TikTok, is now shifting gears, encouraging people to create and watch longer videos. TikTok’s original ‘Creator Fund’ will officially end on Saturday. Consequently, creators who wish to monetarily support their work will need to sign up for the new ‘Creativity Program Beta.’  To receive payment from the app, they are required to produce videos longer than one minute.

The Turnabout

In certain respects, TikTok’s move to longer-form content represents a turnabout; it is now adopting a content format that is frequently more lucrative than that of its legacy competitors. Additionally, the tactic might persuade users to use the app more frequently—some teenagers already report using it “almost constantly.”

However, some TikTok content creators are upset about the change, fearing it will diminish the features that first drew users in—the ease with which one could quickly browse a wide variety of content and the fact that almost anyone could create a video with little to no preparation or assistance.

“I don’t always have a minute of content in me,” admitted Nicki Apostolou, a Native American history and culture- focused TikTok creator with almost 150,000 followers under the username “recycldstardust.”

“It feels like it leaves out creators who came there for the short-form content,” Nicki Apostolou remarked. “I feel like there are so many creators out there who came to TikTok because it was the short-form video app.”

The company developed the new Creativity Program “based on the learnings and feedback we’ve gathered from the previous Creator Fund,” according to a statement by Zachary Kizer, a spokesperson for TikTok.

“We value the opinions and firsthand knowledge of our community, which inform our decisions as we continue to explore new avenues for compensating creators and enhancing the TikTok experience,” Kizer added.

The Longer Strategy

The ability to upload 15-minute videos on TikTok has been gradually introduced over the past three years, with the time limit increasing from one minute to three, five, and finally ten minutes. The platform is currently testing 15-minute videos, though these are not yet widely available.

To continue receiving payment from TikTok for their content, creators had to enroll in the newly introduced Creativity Program. The platform announced last month that it would be closing the Creator Fund in the US, UK, France, and Germany.

Under the newly launched scheme, adult creators with over 10,000 followers on the app can be compensated by the platform for videos longer than a minute that also meet additional requirements.

According to a recent blog post from the company, TikTok has promoted the program to creators by emphasizing that videos longer than one minute encourage viewers to spend more time on their content, allowing creators to ‘build trust through more relational, informative, and educational content.’

Furthermore, TikTok has stated that within the new Creativity Program, creators can expect to receive higher payments per video. Additionally, several creators have already shared on social media that they earned several thousand dollars in the program’s first few months.

Creation For Longer Content

Some creators claim that the reason they joined TikTok rather than YouTube or different platforms was so they could produce short-form content, and they fear that the changes will make it more difficult for them to earn a living on the app in the format they have chosen.

TikTok users are finding it hard with the new duration for the 15-minute videos creation process. This all goes to how much they will be able to generate content and get paid for it. Many TikTok users are going into the dilemma of whether the platform is losing its identity or not.

What do you prefer, long or short TikTok?

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