Some users now have the opportunity to post 60-minute films to TikTok. That may prove problematic for the big streaming services like YouTube. Tech weekly writer Matt Navarra was the first to publicly notice the experiment. On Thursday, TikTok gave TechCrunch confirmation of the functionality.

It's unknown when and if additional people will be able to obtain the update, as well as which locations are currently receiving it. The business informed TechCrunch that it has no imminent plans to expand the 60-minute upload feature.

The change is the latest attempt by the social media network, which is controlled by China, to increase the range of products it offers as user growth slows. The app only let authors to upload 60-second videos when it originally started. All users now have a 10-minute limit, while certain creators have a 15-minute limit. Similar upload durations are provided by YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels, two rival apps to TikTok.

TikTok is ranked in the same weight class as YouTube by the test. It would enable content producers to post videos that need to be longer, such as in-depth how-to videos or the well-liked YouTube vlogs of families and college students.

In terms of total US users, YouTube surpasses TikTok. Over 80% of American people said to Pew Research Center that they have used YouTube at some point in the past, while 33% said they had used TikTok. The user base of the short-form site is predominantly youthful: according to Pew Research, 62% of those aged 18 to 29 use TikTok, whereas 93% of the same age group use YouTube.

However, TikTok surpasses YouTube in terms of minutes watched: Adult TikTok users are expected to spend an average of 55 minutes a day on the site by 2024, which is five more than YouTube users. This prediction was made by Business Insider sister firm eMarketer last year.

"The platform runs the risk of users finding clipped content and leaving to watch the full version on YouTube," eMarketer analyst Sara Lebow stated in a December article about TikTok's shorter content. "Increasing video length could prevent a user from watching half of a video essay on TikTok and finishing the content on YouTube."

As per BI's revelation last week, Google executives are pushing its ad-selling staff to take advantage of the potential US TikTok ban by engaging in "thoughtful conversation" with customers over the restriction.

TikTok did not answer BI's request for comment right away.

Disney+, Hulu, and Netflix are just a few of the streaming businesses that might be threatened by the lengthier video option. Users may binge-watch a lot of small snippets from major TV episodes and movies that have been unofficially posted on TikTok in order to see the entire series. Having access to longer show footage might increase the frequency of this practice.

TV networks are utilizing TikTok as well. An early clip from Peacock's comedy series "Killing It" was posted to TikTok by the streaming service last year. Millions of people watched the five-part show that was uploaded. Extended video lengths allow for the uploading of many episodes at once, perhaps leading to a shift in audience from streaming services to TikTok.