Guide · video length
How long can a TikTok video be?
A TikTok video uploaded in TikTok Studio can be up to 30 minutes long. In 877 videos from 41 of the most followed TikTok accounts, half ran 23 seconds or less, and videos under 15 seconds long did best, at 1.08× their account’s usual views.
What TikTok allows
A video uploaded in TikTok Studio on the web can be up to 30 minutes long.
It must be an MP4 or WebM file, at 720×1280 resolution or higher, and smaller than 10 GB.
Source: TikTok Support
How long the top accounts’ videos run
In 877 videos from 41 of the most followed TikTok accounts, half ran 23 seconds or less. 13% ran a minute or longer, and 1% three minutes or longer.
| Length | Videos | Share | Views vs. usual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 seconds | 257 | 29% | 1.08× |
| 15–30 seconds | 272 | 31% | 1.00× |
| 30–60 seconds | 230 | 26% | 0.89× |
| 1–1.5 minutes | 54 | 6% | 1.00× |
| 1.5–3 minutes | 56 | 6% | 0.93× |
| 3–10 minutes | 7 | 1% | Too few |
| Over 10 minutes | 1 | <1% | Too few |
Views vs. usual is the median TikTok video’s views against its own account’s median: above 1.00× did better than usual. A length with fewer than 50 videos shows no score.
The best length for a TikTok video
Videos under 15 seconds long did best: the median one earned 1.08× its account’s usual views. Those 30–60 seconds long did worst, at 0.89×.
How we measured
We read the latest videos of each of the most followed TikTok accounts and kept those posted in the past year, and at least a week before we read them, once their views had settled. Any pinned post was left out, since an account pins what already did well. That left 877 videos from 41 of the most followed TikTok accounts, posted between October 1, 2025 and September 24, 2026.
Each video is scored by its views against its own account’s median views, so the biggest account cannot outweigh a smaller one: a score of 1.20× means a fifth more views than that account usually gets. A length counts only with at least 50 videos behind it.
These are the biggest accounts on TikTok, and smaller ones may see different results. The study measures views, not watch time or follows, and shows which lengths did well, not that the length made them do well.
Common questions
How long can a TikTok video be?
A video uploaded in TikTok Studio on the web can be up to 30 minutes long. It must be an MP4 or WebM file, at 720×1280 resolution or higher, and smaller than 10 GB.
What is the best length for a TikTok video?
Videos under 15 seconds long did best: the median one earned 1.08× its account’s usual views. Those 30–60 seconds long did worst, at 0.89×.
How long is the average TikTok video?
In 877 videos from 41 of the most followed TikTok accounts, half ran 23 seconds or less. 13% ran a minute or longer, and 1% three minutes or longer.
What video files can you upload to TikTok?
In TikTok Studio on the web: an MP4 or WebM file, at 720×1280 or higher, up to 30 minutes long and smaller than 10 GB.
Sources
- Tools for creators: TikTok StudioTikTok Support, read October 1, 2026