TikTok radically changed the online video landscape when it launched in 2020, popularizing short-form vertical videos that kept users endlessly scrolling. Rivals like Facebook, Instagram and YouTube rushed to copy TikTok’s format in an attempt to compete. But now, TikTok is abandoning its roots by incentivizing creators to produce longer videos through a new monetization program.

The “Creativity Program Beta” requires videos to be over one minute long for creators to receive payouts, replacing the previous “Creator Fund.” While some see it as an opportunity, others argue it detracts from what made TikTok distinctive and beneficial for creators.

“I don’t always have a minute of content in me,” said Nikki Apostolou, a creator focused on Native American topics. “It leaves out creators who came there for the short-form content.”

TikTok claims the changes provide more monetization options. But the pivot mirrors a broader industry shift toward longer videos that generate more advertising revenue.

For creators like Aly Tabizon, who shares astrology tidbits with 1.2 million followers, the app has been “life changing,” letting her work less. She worries TikTok’s declining attention spans can’t sustain longer videos. Still, with bigger payouts, she’s experimenting with the format.

Others find longer videos taxing. It’s “definitely more time-consuming,” said Laura Riegle, who shares hair and lifestyle content. “I already work full-time, I have a family…I don’t have a lot of free time.”

While TikTok suggests supplemental income streams like tipping, some find them unreliable. “You know what it feels like? Busking on the street,” Apostolou said.

So TikTok may have backed itself into a corner, pushing creators to change formulas that found immense audiences. Their frustrations raise doubts over whether longer videos will captivate users drawn to the app by its initial anything-goes spontaneity. TikTok made its name through disruption. Its bid at the convention could prove equally daring.