TikTok is a popular social media platform focused on short-form videos. When TikTok first launched, videos were limited to 15 seconds. Over time, TikTok has steadily increased the maximum video length. In 2022, TikTok announced it was extending the limit to 10 minutes. Now in 2023, some users can upload videos up to 20 minutes.
Users may want to upload longer videos to TikTok for several reasons. Longer videos allow creators to tell more in-depth stories, share tutorials or how-tos, publish compilation videos, and more. Videos over 10 minutes can help creators improve watch time and stand out in a platform dominated by quick videos under a minute. With the ability to upload 20 minute videos, TikTok is embracing more long-form, episodic content.
Requirements
To upload a video on TikTok, you need two main things:
First, you’ll need a TikTok account. TikTok is free to join and use, so you’ll just need to go through the sign-up process to create your account if you don’t already have one. You can sign up either on the TikTok website or mobile app.
Second, you’ll need the actual video file saved on the device you plan to upload from. This can be your smartphone, tablet, or computer. The video needs to be in a file format that TikTok supports such as MP4, MOV, or M4V. And it needs to be optimized for uploading based on TikTok’s requirements like landscape orientation and a resolution of at least 720p.
So once you have both a TikTok account and the properly formatted video file, you’ll be ready to upload your 5 minute video to the platform.
Trim the Video
Before uploading your video to TikTok, you’ll need to trim it to 5 minutes or shorter using video editing software. TikTok has a maximum video length of 5 minutes for uploads, so any footage longer than that will need to be edited down.
You can use free video editing tools like Kapwing, Clipchamp, or VN to trim your video clip. With most editing software, you can select just the beginning and end points you want to isolate, then export or save that shortened section as its own new video file.
Here are some tips for trimming your video in preparation for TikTok:
- Watch through your full video and decide which 5 minute (or shorter) section you want to feature.
- Open the video in your editing software and note down the start and end times for the portion you want to keep.
- Use the trim, cut, or split tool to isolate just that clip length.
- Preview your trimmed video to confirm it’s 5 minutes or less.
- Export the shortened video as a new file to upload to TikTok.
Trimming down longer footage is an essential step before sharing videos on TikTok. This ensures your video will conform to the 5 minute limit and highlights your most compelling content.
Upload to TikTok
Once you have trimmed your video to be 5 minutes or less, you are ready to upload it to TikTok. Here are the steps:
First, open the TikTok app on your mobile device and tap the plus (+) icon to go to the upload screen. This is where you will select the video from your camera roll or device storage.
After selecting your video, you will be taken to the editing screen. Here you can add a title, description, sounds, effects, and more. Make sure to give your video a compelling title that will draw viewers in. You can also add some relevant hashtags in the description to help get your video discovered.
TikTok allows you to splice multiple clips together and add transitions and effects. Feel free to get creative with the editing tools to make your video visually appealing. You can also add music, voiceovers, and more sounds.
Once you are happy with your edits, tap the “Next” button. This will take you to the posting screen where you can add the final touches like tagged people, hashtag challenges, and posting to your feed. When ready, tap “Post” and your 5 minute (or less) video will be live on TikTok!
Multi-Part Videos
If your video is longer than 60 seconds, you can split it into multiple 15-60 second parts and upload each part separately. TikTok allows videos up to 10 minutes long when uploaded this way. To indicate it’s a multi-part video, use captions or text graphics at the start or end of each part. For example “Part 1”, “Part 2”, etc.
According to a Reddit thread, multi-part videos can be an effective strategy for telling longer stories or tutorials on TikTok: “Multi-Part Video Strategies on TikTok? Help Please!”
Stitch Videos
TikTok’s Stitch tool allows you to combine multiple short videos together to create a longer video up to 5 minutes. Here’s how to use Stitch on TikTok:
1. When creating a new video, tap the Stitch icon at the top of the screen (it looks like two linked chain links).
2. Select a video from your camera roll or record a new clip for your starting stitch. This first video can be up to 5 seconds long.
3. Tap the Stitch icon again and select another video or record another clip to append to the first video. Continue stitching additional clips as needed.
4. Rearrange the order of the stitched clips by pressing and holding on a clip, then dragging it to the desired position.
5. When finished, tap Next to move on to editing and posting your stitched TikTok video.
The key advantage of using Stitch is it lets you work around TikTok’s standard 15 or 60 second video length limit. With careful planning, you can produce longer videos up to 5 minutes in length using Stitch. Just break your content down into a series of shorter clips and stitch them together to tell your longer story.
To learn more, check out this guide: How to Stitch TikTok Videos
Live Stream
TikTok allows users to live stream video up to 4 hours long using the Go Live feature in the app. Once a live stream ends, TikTok gives the option to save the full live stream as a multi-part video on your profile. This allows you to break up your live stream into smaller segments that followers can watch after the fact. According to this article, live streaming is a great way to engage your audience in real time. Just keep in mind ideal live stream length is anywhere from 30-90 minutes. Going beyond that may cause you to lose audience interest and engagement.
Link to YouTube
If you have a longer video that exceeds TikTok’s 5 minute limit, you can link to the full video on YouTube using TikTok’s link sticker feature. Here’s how:
- Upload your full length video to YouTube.
- In the TikTok app, create a new video and trim a short preview clip from your YouTube video, less than 60 seconds.
- Add the TikTok link sticker and paste your YouTube video URL into the link field.
- Position the link sticker where you want viewers to click.
- Post your TikTok video with the link sticker to lead viewers to the full YouTube video.
The TikTok link sticker is a great way to redirect your audience to longer content while still sharing short, engaging video previews on TikTok. Just make sure the preview clip entices viewers to click through to the full YouTube video. For more details, see How To Link Youtube Video On Tiktok.
Upload Highlights
One way to upload longer videos to TikTok is by breaking them into highlights or short clips. You can take a 5-minute video and cut out the most engaging 30 seconds to 1 minute segment. This allows you to showcase the best parts while ensuring the video stays within TikTok’s recommended length for optimal engagement.
To upload a highlight, first edit your longer video using desktop video editing software like Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, or free options like iMovie. Identify the most compelling sequence that tells a story or makes a point in a short time. Export just that clip.
Then, open the TikTok app, tap the + icon to upload the exported highlight clip. Add any text, effects, stickers, or sounds to enhance it.
Uploading highlights gives viewers a taste of your longer content while catering to TikTok’s short-form video style. It’s an effective way to repurpose great moments from existing longer videos.
Conclusion
In summary, there are a few main options for uploading longer videos to TikTok that exceed the standard 60 second limit:
- Trim your video down into multiple parts under 60 seconds each and stitch the clips together using TikTok’s built-in editing tools.
- Live stream your longer video and then download the full-length replay to reupload as a standalone video.
- Upload video highlights or a short trailer first, then link to the full video hosted on YouTube in your TikTok caption.
Additionally, here are some tips to optimize longer videos on TikTok:
- Engage viewers in the first 5-10 seconds to keep them watching.
- Add captions or subtitles for accessibility.
- Use cuts, transitions, effects and text/stickers to maintain interest.
- Promote your long-form content on other social platforms.
With some creative editing and promotion, you can absolutely share engaging content longer than 60 seconds on TikTok!
