TikTok’s Latest Announcement Is A Game Changer For Music

TikTok has shifted its sights to longer-form content, rolling out new max video lengths in a game-changing move for artists.

The social media giant has long been a stage for emerging talent, with many artists making a career via the platform, and news of video lengths shifting from 3 minutes to 10 minutes, after several months of testing, opens up a world of possibilities for creators.

Artists will now be able to upload lengthy music videos, performances and more to the platform, allowing it to better compete with YouTube.

"We're always thinking about new ways to bring value to our community and enrich the TikTok experience,” A TikTok spokesperson said.

“Last year, we introduced longer videos, giving our community more time to create and be entertained on TikTok.

“We're excited to start rolling out the ability to upload videos that are up to 10 minutes, which we hope would unleash even more creative possibilities for our creators around the world."

As pointed out by The Verge, the shift is expected to capture an older audience and increase overall engagement on the app and it’s easier to monetise longer content,  although TikTok may be under more scrutiny when it comes to content moderation.

The influence of TikTok in recent years on the music industry is undeniable.

Back in January Aussie artist Peach PRC shared a snippet of new single God Is A Freak to her near-2 million followers, which blew up and resulted in chaos behind the scenes at her label as they scrambled to put together an official release for the track off the back of the hype.

Meanwhile, Newcastle outfit Vacations have been caught up in a number of TikTok trends over the past couple of years, leading to huge international interest. They’re currently in the US performing sold-out dates.

Australian artists are now also paid royalties when their music is used on TikTok, thanks to a recent deal with APRA AMCOS, while the weekly ARIA #1 album is revealed first on the platform each week.