Twitter’s Two-Hour Video Update: Will Content Creators Embrace the Challenge?

I find great pleasure in unwinding after a tiring day by indulging in an extended video experience on… hold on a moment… Twitter?

Surprisingly enough, it appears that Elon Musk is encouraging this very activity. The renowned Twitter enthusiast recently utilized the platform to inform the world that verified subscribers of Twitter Blue now possess the ability to share videos lasting up to two hours.

Musk also made a noteworthy addition, stating that the maximum size for a two-hour video is limited to 8GB. While I’m no expert in video production, it’s evident that content creators will face quite a challenge in compressing their lengthy videos within this size constraint.

Nowadays, many creators opt for shooting in 4K resolution, unless they’re aiming for the highest quality like Marques Brownlee. By doing a simple calculation, it becomes apparent that Twitter would require creators to reduce the resolution to a minimum of 1080p in order to fit a two-hour video within the 8GB limit. Interestingly enough, even Musk himself couldn’t help but chuckle at the subpar resolution of the company’s live-streaming technology earlier this month.

Undoubtedly, most creators won’t find themselves needing to upload full-length movies to Twitter, and the 8GB limit will suffice for many of them. However, Twitter can seize this opportunity to gather valuable insights from creators regarding their requirements and further enhance their infrastructure accordingly.

This development does create an intriguing situation for creators seeking to share longer content on the platform. Without delving too deeply into the details, it’s worth mentioning that Tucker Carlson is expected to launch a new show on Twitter in the coming month, which certainly seems like the kind of show that could benefit from this extended video capability.

It’s evident that Musk is actively trying to entice YouTubers to join the platform. While Twitter still has a long way to go in terms of features, discoverability, and reach compared to YouTube, this move could be seen as a step toward building a more competitive infrastructure.

Currently, there’s no denying that YouTube dominates the long-form content landscape without any significant competition. The company’s influence is so extensive that it’s even encroaching on cable TV by acquiring the rights to NFL Sunday Ticket. Introducing competition in this domain would undoubtedly benefit us all.