TikTok videos get longer in challenge to YouTube

TikTok is more than tripling the top length of shared videos to 10 minutes in a growing challenge to YouTube.

TikTok on Monday began letting users upload videos as long as 10 minutes, ramping up the young platform's challenge to veteran titan YouTube.

TikTok, owned by ByteDance in China, launched with a one-minute limit on uploaded videos, but bumped the cap to three minutes last year.

"We hope this will further stimulate the creativity of our creators around the world."

"YouTube is still ahead of TikTok in terms of time spent, but its not immune to the 'TikTok effect'," Insider Intelligence analyst Jasmine Enberg told AFP.

Longer videos could also enable TikTok creators make more money and boost the platforms advertising business, the analyst added.

The video-sharing platform is investing in short-form and live video, along with tools to help creators make money and produce fresh content, according to chief product officer Neal Mohan.

"To give them every opportunity possible, we'll continue to invest across our multiple formats."

Short videos, typically made using smartphones, can be as long as 60 seconds, with music and comedy as popular themes.

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