TOGETHER WITH

It's Thursday and you’re going to want to grab your dice and a handful of Dramamine—because Dungeons & Dragons is coming to VR.

PUSHING THE LIMIT

Watch out, YouTube: TikTok is taking 30-minute videos for a test run

TikTok’s latest test feature could be a major boon for long-form creators—and a challenge for YouTube.

The experiment: Earlier this week, eagle-eyed social media consultant Matt Navarra noticed an option for 30-minute uploads in the iOS beta version of the TikTok app. He wasn’t alone: as Navarra told TechCrunch, several other users have now reported seeing similar notifications in the Android beta version of the app.

The context: TikTok’s video length limit has been capped at 10 minutes since 2022, but this isn’t the first time the app has experimented with a longer runtime. Last October, Navarra spotted a test feature that allowed some TikTok users to raise their maximum video length to 15 minutes—an extension that has yet to come to fruition. Could TikTok’s latest time limit experiment mean the app is leaning towards a more dramatic change?

The implications: Tripling the max runtime of uploads would be big move for TikTok, but one that tracks with the platform’s recent prioritization of long-form content. Over the last year, TikTok has consistently encouraged creators to lengthen their videos, both by releasing long-form-friendly tools and by shifting its approach to monetization.

• The Creativity Program is at the crux of that long-form-focused strategy. Introduced in February 2023, the program offers enhanced monetization to creators of TikTok’s most popular long-form uploads.
  
  

• Combined with potential revenue from the Creativity Program, a longer video limit could be a powerful draw for YouTubers who haven’t yet made the jump to TikTok—if the app’s experimental new feature survives the testing phase.

🔆 SPONSORED 🔆

Welcome to Breeze: where creators get funding without taking on equity or restrictive licensing

Getting access to funding to grow your channel shouldn’t mean taking on restrictive licensing contracts or royalty agreements. With Breeze, mid to large-size YouTube creators can get an advance based on AdSense revenue without taking on equity or licensing their back catalog.

Here’s how it works:

Tax-Free Cash Advances From $50,000 To $25 Million 💸
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HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• Thousands of speedrunners gathered for this year’s digital and in-person Awesome Games Done Quick (AGDQ) event, which raised $2.5 million for the Prevent Cancer Foundation. (Tubefilter)
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• Gabbi Hanna has taken a job as a YMCA fitness instructor 17 months after going quiet on TikTok amid mental health concerns. (Tubefilter)
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• Twitch has announced plans to update the Partner Plus Program in order to “give more streamers access to increased net revenue shares on paid and gifted subs.” (IGN)
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• As of February 2024, celebrities and companies will be able to reach users on BeReal by joining the app as “RealBrands” or “RealPeople.” (TechCrunch)

COLUMNS • CREATORS ON THE RISE 📈

From housekeeping tips to DIY projects, this creator is committed to helping you “not live like a slob”

Before COVID-19, Dag Larsen was a vintage store owner who “never used social media other than for work.” Now, he’s exactly what every young TikTok viewer needs as they venture into the world of adulthood: “an older friend who knows some stuff and has been around.”

How it started: Larsen never actually intended to go all in on TikTok. At first, the creator was just looking for ways to keep his vintage shop afloat. He figured he’d post some basic lifestyle content, drum up a little business, and call it a day.

• Then he filmed a quick restaurant review—and everything fell into place. That first video opened the floodgates for content about everything from cooking tutorials to cleaning advice. The more Larsen posted, the more he realized that the life skills he was sharing “were helpful and it made me feel like I do have value and it does matter.”

How it’s going: Nowadays, Larsen splits his time between managing his online vintage shop and sharing an ever-evolving slate of content with nearly 650,000 TikTok followers. And to keep that schedule from getting too hectic, he’s teamed up with Viral Nation to ensure that he can maintain his “passion” for TikTok without having to “oversee the business side” of things.

What’s up next: In addition to one day releasing his own products (and hopefully doing something on TV), Larsen plans to “keep making content as long as possible in whatever capacity it is, because I have a big mouth and I have a lot to share.”

• Find out more about Larsen—and the hundreds of rising creators and social media millionaires we’ve interviewed over the years—right here on Tubefilter.com.

DATA • U.S. TOP 50 📊

These Shorts stars are always on board for a family prank war

Standing out within the crowded genre of practical jokes has never been a problem for Haydee and Scott. The short-form stars behind Anxiety Couple have more than a knack for stress-inducing pranks—they have a secret weapon named Jayden.

The content: Haydee’s mischievous son might not be an official member of Anxiety Couple, but he’s clearly the star of the show. From pulling the Uno Reverse card on his mom to revealing his stepdad’s secret shopping receipts, the young YouTuber has a gift for stirring up drama. No wonder he stars in nearly all of Anxiety Couple’s top Shorts.

The response: Haydee, Scott, and Jayden are no strangers to virality. Their social media-famous family already claims a fanbase of more than 13 million followers on TikTok, where their videos routinely bring in millions of views. Now, Anxiety Couple is making waves on YouTube, too.

The stats: Scott and Haydee have maintained a presence on Alphabet’s video platform since 2018, but it wasn’t until earlier this month that their short-form content began popping off in a big way.

• In fact, nearly half of Anxiety Couple’s 335.8 million lifetime views flooded in during our last weekly count.
  
  

• That seven-day total of 125.9 million views added up to a whopping 57% week-over-week increase.
  
  

• The result: Scott, Haydee, and their young co-conspirator claimed a spot at #38 in the U.S. Top 50.

WATCH THIS 📺

You could be #sliving it up (and earning Hilton rewards) on Roblox right now

Hilton has found a home on Roblox. The hospitality brand’s first metaverse-based hotel is opening its doors to players visiting Slivingland—aka Paris Hilton’s glammed-up digital Roblox destination.

Users who take part in the initiative will be able to visit Hilton’s virtual hotel lobby and compete to collect real-world hotel loyalty points. Check out the promo trailer here to begin channeling your metaverse-chic alter ego.

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Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen. Drew Baldwin helped edit, too. It's a team effort.