YouTube vs. TikTok: Why are they changing, and Are They Becoming Too Similar?
TikTok recently announced that they will let users upload 10-minute video, putting the app in direct competition with YouTube and Instagram.
TikTok are said to have been testing the update for several months. Following a change in July 2021, they have gradually increased the maximum uploaded video length from 15 seconds to 60 seconds, and finally through to 3 minutes.
Announcing the update, a TikTok spokesperson said ‘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,’
When TikTok first launched, it was inevitably compared to Vine, the legendary 6-second video app that kick started the creativity of many well-known TikTok stars we know today. But we all know what happened to Vine, right?! Vine shut down because it failed to monetise its short form video format sufficiently enough to support the app and its creators. That’s because making money off micro-length video is really hard, because such short videos inherently aren’t long enough to justifiably feature pre-roll or mid-video ads. That’s the simplest, most tried-and-tested way for video apps to generate revenue and pay creators, but it’s much easier to execute for a londer-form platform like YouTube.
CREATOR OPTIONS
As creators grow their following and become more popular, they will naturally want to earn money from the app they are publishing on - and arguably benefitting with their presence. And they’ll also be well aware of the opportunities other platforms offer in exchange for their talent.
Above: Hank Green’s near half-hour breakdown of TikTok’s failing creator compensation programme made a huge impact upon its release, and very likely contributed to the platform’s diversifiction of revenue models.
TikTok, too, are aware of that appeal elsewhere, which is one of the reasons why they have announced 10-minute videos, which is over three times the current maximum upload length. More running time means more creative options, and more opportunity to entice longer-form creators on other platforms, but it also, crucially, means more space for ads and the revenue that comes with them.
But ironically, all of this comes as YouTube and Instagram go all-in on short-form video.
MEANWHILE, YOUTUBE DOUBLES DOWN ON SHORT-FORM
YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels were both rolled out in 2020 as direct retaliation to the growing popularity of TikTok. YouTube are using their TikTok-like 'Shorts' feature as a quick-consumption vehicle for creators to demo their creativity and direct audiences to their main content feed, where they reap the rewards of YouTube’s proven and lucrative in-stream ad placement. Shorts has been a huge win for YouTube, who just celebrated 5 trillion views and 6.5 billion daily views globally.
Above: YouTube’s push of Shorts content is crystalised in the incendiary rise of Noel Deyzel, who appeared from nowhere to become the most viral fitness influencer on the platform when he started presenting his wholesome, no-BS wisdom in short-form content.
Because of Shorts quick success, YouTube introduced a new $100 million creator fund to incentivise creators in making them, with rewards based on new metrics of video interaction – a break from YouTube's standard advertising monetisation approach.
But where YouTube has a more robust monetisation model overall, it lacks the in-app editing features, like greenscreens and AR filters, that fuel TikTok’s fast-paced creativity. And it hasn’t yet been able to adopt - and drive - fast-breaking viral trends like TikTok has. Similar tools, but very different audience and creator culture.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
We expect both apps to continue pushing further in their initial opposite direction - but toward each other’s original start-point. TikTok will develop its long-form provisions and related monetisation models for creators, while YouTube will invest heavily in Shorts and in helping creators use them to build their audiences and direct them to their main feed, longer form content.
Can we expect more updates? Absolutely! As the gap closes and social video apps become more similar, the competition for the best creators and native content will grow, and both parties will eventually need to innovate again in order to stay ahead of the market. For now though, the main video platforms seem content to simply open the gates to all creators by diversifying their tools and offerings.
But homogeneity never leads to true progress. Let’s not forget that this whole back-and-forth format battle between contemporary industry giants was actually kick-started by a weird, rule-breaking, left-field app called Vine nine years ago…