TikTok has popularized the short-form vertical video format in recent years. However, sometimes one minute is just too short for content creators. That’s why many people try to learn how to make clips longer on TikTok. This makes for more engaging content and limits the stress because people don’t try to squeeze everything in too much. How can you do this yourself? Let’s find out.
How Long Are TikTok Videos?
TikTok has been around for quite some time and focuses its content around short-form vertical clips. However, while short clips are great for sharing small tidbits, they’re not always enough if you want more substantial content. That’s why people learn how to make clips on TikTok longer.
However, before we get into the “how-to” part of the article, we must understand TikTok’s baseline time limit. In the past, TikTok limited its short clips to just 15 seconds. That’s a staggeringly short amount of time to squeeze content into.
Thankfully, the company later lengthened this time limit to a full 60 seconds. The company even pushed this limit further and has extended the time to three minutes because of high demand. As a result, you have a lot more flexibility when it comes to creating short-form videos on the platform.
Unfortunately, many users still feel that three minutes is too restricting. That’s why many folks have requested another extension and are learning how to make clips longer on TikTok. It’s unsurprising, then, that TikTok teased a 10-minute video feature back in February 2022.
How to Make Clips Longer on TikTok?
Here are easy ways you can make your clips longer on TikTok.
Use the Clip Length Setting
Need to learn how to make clips longer on TikTok? If your current video doesn’t exceed the 3-minute limit, then lengthening the video should be easy. That’s because the app has a default functionality that lets people extend their video’s length.
If you want to use it, you can navigate to the “Settings” menu and choose “Clip Length.” Then you can just adjust the clip’s length to your liking. You can also press and hold on to a clip until it flashes. This acts as a shortcut to trigger the clip adjustment tool.
Check for Updates
TikTok started rolling out the 10-minute video feature in February of this year. Hence, you should be able to learn how to adjust clips on TikTok with a new update.
However, because this feature is relatively new, it hasn’t been launched globally just yet. Thankfully, you can easily check whether your app has been updated with the new feature or not. Just follow these instructions:
- Launch TikTok on your phone
- Tap the “Plus” button at the lower-end
- Swipe over the different time limits above the record button
- Note: You should see the 10-minute option if the feature has been rolled out to your country
If the option is unavailable, then this means TikTok hasn’t released this feature in your area yet. However, make sure to check that your app has been updated in the App Store or Play Store first. That’s because TikTok could have already launched the feature in your location, but you simply haven’t updated the app.
Use Slo-Mo
How do you change the clip length on a TikTok? Or more specifically, how do you make seconds longer on TikTok? One way to extend your TikTok video’s length is by using the slo-mo feature.
As its name implies, this is a neat little feature that allows your TikTok videos to play in slow motion. However, what makes it relevant to this discussion is that it can lengthen your videos by a few seconds.
All you need is to open TikTok and head to your video. Then press down on the screen until the button turns into one with a lightning bolt icon. Once this happens, you should be able to move through standard and slo-mo speeds as you record.
Doing this will allow you to include more footage in one video. It’s handy for short clips that you want to lengthen for uploading on the app. However, do note that this feature is a bit processor-heavy. Hence, you’ll need a powerful phone with decent battery life to use it. Otherwise, your phone might lag too much or reduce power quickly.
Use Less Footage
Perhaps the question isn’t about how to make clips longer on TikTok but how to squeeze in as much as possible into the time limit. If this is your main priority, then we suggest simply cutting out a few shots or using less footage.
Doing so should allow you to include more important footage and waste less bandwidth and storage space. Moreover, it should eliminate boring or unnecessary moments and keep your video engaging to watch. Your video will feel long because of the packed content, but it is actually within the time frame TikTok imposes.
Don’t Use Sound
TikTok might have a library of built-in sounds, but these come at a cost. That’s right: using these sounds will cut your videos short. This is because TikTok’s library of sounds only lasts for 15 seconds each. Hence, TikTok will cut all of your videos to 15 seconds despite recording longer clips.
In this case, we recommend simply turning off the sounds on your video. It’s an easy method how to make clips longer on TikTok without jumping through hoops. This way, you can easily record 60-second or 3-minute videos without worrying about footage getting cut out.
Use an App
How do you change the length of multiple uploaded clips on TikTok? Unfortunately, the app doesn’t have advanced editing tools that you can use to stitch the footage together. It can only do simple functions like trimming videos or capturing different segments of footage one at a time.
However, this doesn’t mean you can’t upload footage that’s already been edited. Doing this is a great way how to make clips longer on TikTok. At least, it makes them feel longer because there’s more content.
How can you do this? You can simply film different shots with a camera or your phone. Do whatever you need to do to film different takes and gather footage. Then all you need is to download or purchase a video-editing tool to stitch your footage together.
Once you have an app, you can edit and knit the different shots together to make a TikTok video. It will take a bit of time to learn, especially if you’ve never used video editors before. Nonetheless, it will pay off eventually once you become more familiar with it.
How to Fix If You Can’t Adjust Clip Length on TikTok
A few roadblocks sometimes naturally spring up when you learn how to make clips longer on TikTok. Thankfully, even if there’s a problem with the clip length adjustment tool, there’s an easy way around it.
If you can’t adjust your clip length on TikTok, then there could be several culprits behind the issue. Firstly, your app might not be able to access the clips you’ve uploaded because they’re within your device’s internal storage. In this case, we recommend transferring these clips to a different phone or the cloud.
Apart from this, the problem might lie with lacking storage on your mobile phone. If this is the problem, then we recommend deleting unnecessary files, photos, or videos on your device. This should help you adjust the clip length on TikTok more easily.
Third-Party Programs and Apps to Help Make TikTok Clips Longer
Learning how to make clips longer on TikTok without a third-party app can be challenging. Fortunately, there is numerous free software you can download to help you on how to make uploaded clips longer on TikTok. Here are our top three recommendations for such apps.
Adobe Rush
Adobe Rush is one of the best video editing apps you can utilize to make your clips longer. It’s available on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, so almost everyone can use it. Furthermore, it has tools that help you not only trim or knit footage together but also make advanced adjustments. The app has a built-in feature that allows you to publish your finished work directly to TikTok.
iMovie
When it comes to default apps, there’s nothing that can beat iMovie on iOS and macOS. Sure, the app may be a bit basic, but that’s the beauty of it. With iMovie, you can reliably combine videos, trim them, create soundtracks, and even use templates. Best of all, it’s free and simple so you don’t need advanced knowledge to utilize it.
YouCut
YouCut is an Android-exclusive app that possesses both simplicity and functionality. It offers several useful features, including soundtrack implementations and slideshows. The app also lets you combine clips or trim longer footage to adjust your video accordingly. Moreover, YouCut even has effects you can use to add a touch of pizzazz to your TikTok videos.
Pros and Cons of Long TikTok Posts
TikTok has established itself to be one of those apps that specialize solely in short-form vertical videos. However, with the demand for longer videos rising in recent years, users now have the option to choose.
Either you stick to TikTok’s original 15-second limit or play with its one to three-minute time frames. On the other hand, note that posting lengthier videos will have its pros and cons. We’ll discuss this in detail below.
Pros
Longer TikTok videos make for great content because they allow you to squeeze in more information. If your primary content is based around information-heavy stuff, then longer videos make more sense. For example, science videos, explainers, educational channels, and storytellers can all benefit from longer posts.
In addition, longer videos allow for more flexibility and creativity. You no longer have to wrack your brain about which clips to include in that short 60-second time frame. Moreover, there’s less editing and deleting to do if you’re allowed to post longer videos.
Cons
On the other hand, posting longer TikTok videos can also take a toll on its content creators. Sure, longer clips are more informative and can pack in more entertainment. However, this also means you have to expend a lot more energy and effort into making your videos.
In addition, you’ll have to be confident about how much you can keep your audience’s attention with longer videos. Longer videos mean you need to be sure you’re entertaining. Otherwise, people will swipe away from your video before they finish your video.
Finally, longer videos mean the audience has to adjust a bit more. That’s because TikTok has traditionally been a platform for short videos that only last a few minutes. People are used to the formula and trust it. Hence, they could easily swipe through your longer video once they get bored or antsy because of the long wait.
FAQs
Make Your TikTok Clips Longer Easily!
Learning how to make clips longer on TikTok is fairly easy. However, the method you choose should hinge on your targets and goals. Are you trying to lengthen an already short video? If so, we suggest using slo-mo on the app.
On the other hand, if you have tons of footage and want to cram it into a lengthy 3-minute video, using a video editor should do the trick. Regardless, there should be a tool that can help you achieve your goal.
Just don’t expect to exceed the app’s maximum time limit unless you’ve already received the 10-minute update. We hope this has been helpful so you can jumpstart your career as a TikTok influencer.
