How long should a TikTok bit be?
Most people speak about 130 to 170 words a minute, so a 15 second bit is roughly 35 words, 30 seconds is about 75, 60 seconds is about 150, and 2 minutes is about 300. Leave room for pauses, because laughs and beats take time.
Turn your own story into a bit
Write what happened. Get a bit: hook, setup, tags and button.
The quick numbers
At a normal speaking pace of roughly 150 words a minute: 15 seconds is about 35 words, 30 seconds is about 75, 60 seconds is about 150, and 2 minutes is about 300. These are estimates. Your own pace may be faster or slower, so read a draft out loud with a timer once.
Leave room for beats
Comedy needs pauses: a beat before the turn, a breath after the laugh line. Cut about a tenth of the words from any script to make room for them, or the video will run over.
15 seconds
One premise, one punch. This is the length for a single sharp observation or a fast POV. There is no room for a setup, so the hook is the setup.
30 to 60 seconds
The workhorse range for storytime. Enough time for a hook, a short setup, a turn and a tag or two. If you are unsure, start here.
2 minutes
Room for a real bit with several tags and a callback. Only worth it if the story earns it. If the second minute is not as strong as the first, cut it back to 60.
Pick the length first
Decide the length before you write. In Shutap you choose 15s, 30s, 60s or 2m up front, so the script is written to fit the video.
Write your story, get the bit →
Turn your own story into a bit
Write what happened. Get a bit: hook, setup, tags and button.
