TikTok has long been more than just a platform for short videos. Over the past few years, the platform has gradually introduced the option to upload and share longer videos. At the same time, TikTok remains an attention-driven platform where viewers assess content based on a split-second first impression. This is precisely where the optimal TikTok video length comes into play since it affects how long people stick around, how the algorithm distributes content, and how well a video performs overall.

But what’s actually the ideal length for a TikTok video? A look at the data shows which video lengths truly deliver the best performance.

How Long Can a TikTok Video Be?

TikTok videos can be anywhere from a few seconds all the way to ten minutes long, depending on the use case. Short clips aim for quick consumption, while longer videos can be used for in-depth content. As the maximum length of TikTok videos has increased, new use cases have emerged, such as storytelling, tutorials, or explanatory content.

Strategically speaking, the question is not so much how long a video can be on TikTok, but rather what length makes practical sense. Watch time, completion rate, and engagement play a particularly important role in the performance of a TikTok video. They provide information about how intensively users engage with a video and are considered important signals for the TikTok algorithm.

This leads to two clear hypotheses regarding the best length for TikTok videos: shorter videos might achieve higher completion rates, while longer videos might generate more engagement. But which assumptions hold up in reality, and where does TikTok surprise us with unexpected patterns?

The Optimal TikTok Video Length Study: Comparing the Data in Detail

To reveal the best video length for TikTok, we evaluated the correlations between video duration and performance for 32,000 TikToks that were published over the past month.

How Long Is the Average TikTok Video?

TikTok is clearly dominated by short- to medium-length videos. Around 72% of all TikTok videos are shorter than 60 seconds.

The most frequently posted videos are 10–30 seconds long, followed by 30–60 seconds. But does the average TikTok video length also correspond to the best performance?

Shorter Videos Reach More Users

Looking at reach, a distinct pattern emerges. The shortest videos reach the most users.

If you are wondering how long should a TikTok video be to go viral, our data gives you some helpful insights. Videos lasting 0–10 seconds achieve the highest average reach per follower, significantly outperforming all other lengths. Medium-length videos with a duration of 30–90 seconds also perform well, while videos longer than 90 seconds see a significant drop in reach.

Finding the Optimal TikTok Video Length for Completion Rate

The completion rate paints a particularly clear picture. Very short videos are disproportionately often watched to the end.

Videos with a length of 0–10 seconds achieve the highest completion rate by far, clearly outperforming all other lengths. Longer videos have a significantly lower completion rate, which decreases linearly as the video length increases.

Nevertheless, you shouldn’t rely too heavily on a good completion rate as a quality indicator on TikTok. Engagement signals such as comments, shares, or likes also play an important role in performance.

How Long Should TikTok Videos Be for Engagement?

Our study found that engagement on TikTok is generated neither by the shortest nor the longest videos, but primarily by videos of medium length.

So how long should TikTok videos be for engagement? Our study proves that the highest interaction rates are achieved by videos with a length of 30–90 seconds, which generate twice as much engagement as very short or very long videos.

What Brands Should Conclude From This

In answering the question of how long videos should be on TikTok, our analysis highlights one thing in particular: the optimal TikTok video length depends heavily on the respective goal. Very short videos under 10 seconds achieve the greatest reach on TikTok and are particularly often viewed to the end. This makes them ideal for brand awareness and visibility.

On the other hand, interactions occur primarily with TikToks that are 30 to 90 seconds long. These formats are particularly suitable for community building, as they offer enough space for storytelling, explanatory or educational content, and a clear argumentation structure. In-depth content promotes greater engagement and thus leads to more comments, shares, and saves.

Conclusion: There Is No Such Thing as the Ideal TikTok Video Length

The study results clearly show that there is no universally optimal video length on TikTok. The length that works best therefore depends less on general best practices than on the respective goal, whether it’s visibility, interaction, or community building. For social media managers, brands, and agencies, this means one thing in particular: TikTok performance cannot be generalized. Instead of following fixed rules, it is worth testing video lengths on a data-driven basis and optimizing them continuously.

If you want to determine the optimal video length for your own TikTok account based on data, you can now try Fanpage Karma for free for 14 days and analyze the performance of your own videos and those of your competitors. In addition to powerful features for analysis and trend research, the all-in-one social media tool also offers tools for publishing, community management, and monitoring that allow you to manage your entire social media workflow in one place.

Fanpage Karma also offers a free weekly webinar where you can learn how to use the tool to improve your TikTok content strategy in the long term.