Six Seconds? 30 Seconds? Try 140 Seconds for Twitter, Vine Videos

Head of product development for creators Jeremy Rishel announced in a blog post that Twitter extended the time limit on videos in tweets to 140 seconds from 30 seconds.

Twitter is also experimenting with a huge change to its Vine video application, expanding the time limit for videos from six seconds to 140 seconds for “a small group” of creators.

And the social network is introducing a way to make all of those videos easier to discover, saying that its iOS and Android apps will soon offer “a new, full-screen viewing experience” after users tap on video tweets or Vines, where more videos will be suggested.

Rishel wrote in the blog post:

Video is becoming increasingly central to the real-time conversations happening on Twitter–video tweets on Twitter have increased by over 50 percent since the beginning of 2016. And we love watching all the timely, important, and funny video content people share every day.

Starting today, you’ll have more room to unleash your creativity on Twitter. Where previously, uploaded videos were limited to 30 seconds, now anyone can create video tweets up to–you guessed it–140 seconds long. (Select publishers will continue to be able to post videos up to 10 minutes long through our professional publisher tools.)

Now, everyone can post videos up to 140 seconds long! We can’t wait to see the amazing videos you create and share.https://t.co/DFsuvnXkuL

— Twitter Video (@video) June 21, 2016

Explore more videos and Vines that are lighting up Twitter. Our new viewing mode will let you watch more with a tap. pic.twitter.com/XyBaes37T7

— Twitter Video (@video) June 21, 2016

And Vine offered more details about its 140-second experiment in a blog post of its own:

Those of you who have expanded into longer storytelling tell us you’d love to reach your fans where you started without having to direct them elsewhere (unless you want to, of course!). We recognize that Vine is part of an ecosystem for digital creators today, and we support you in all of your goals for creative expression.

We’re staying true to who we are. Vines are a format to squeeze the most funny, beautiful, breathtaking moments into. Defying traditional narrative with their format, they’re a lot like trailers. And like a great trailer, they make you want to watch the movie.

With this beta release, a Vine can now be a trailer that points directly to a mini-movie.

In the app, you’ll start to see Vines with a “watch more” button in the lower-right corner — tap or click that to view the attached video.

Videos will be up to 140 seconds in length, just like the videos shared on Twitter (You may see some that are longer — up to 10 minutes, which is an option we make available for some partners!) The canvas for movies is not only longer, it’s full-screen. Shoot vertical or horizontal, and rotate your phone to watch in wide-screen. Show your love for the best parts of the movie by double tapping to make hearts fly.

You’ll continue to see Vines, those short looping trailers we all know and love. It’s just that now some Vines might have a longer video, too. If you’re not yet seeing the “watch more” option, hang tight! (We’re rolling the changes out to everyone as fast as we can, but computers like to be methodical. Those are the rules!)

Readers: What are your thoughts on the longer videos coming to Twitter and Vine?