TikTok Spark vs non-Spark ad length: no restriction vs 10 minutes
TikTok's spec page lists no duration restriction for Spark Ads and up to 10 minutes for non-Spark. Format, size and caption differences, and Sume output.
On TikTok's auction in-feed specification page, Spark Ads list video duration as having no restrictions, while non-Spark ads list up to 10 minutes. The page also lists .mp4 or .mov for Spark Ads and five formats for non-Spark. The page was read 2026-10-08.
Side by side
The two columns come straight from TikTok's page. Where the page lists nothing for Spark Ads, the cell says so rather than guessing.
| Item | Spark Ads | Non-Spark ads |
|---|---|---|
| Video formats | .mp4 or .mov | .mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .3gp, .avi |
| Video duration | No restrictions | Up to 10 minutes |
| File size | Not listed for Spark | 500 MB or less |
| Bitrate | Not listed for Spark | 516 kbps or more |
| Resolution | Not listed for Spark | 9:16 540x960+, 16:9 960x540+, 1:1 640x640+ |
| Caption | From the organic post, max 4 lines | White uniform font, no links, @ or hashtags |
What this means when you render
A Spark Ad has no length rule on the spec page, so the limit is whatever the organic post allows, which this post does not claim because the organic TikTok help page could not be fetched. For a non-Spark ad, the safe plan is 10 minutes or less and 500 MB or less. Sume Timeline renders up to 1800 seconds, so a 12 minute video is possible to render but too long for a non-Spark ad.
Sume outputs MP4, which is on both lists. Timeline bills $0.10 per ceil output minute, so a 10 minute non-Spark ad is $1.00.
A practical order of work
Decide the ad type first, because the length limit changes the edit. Then render once at the target size. Last, read the byte count and, for non-Spark, check it against 500 MB. The math for a 10 minute file is in the size post.
- Spark: no duration rule on the spec page; confirm the organic post rules on TikTok.
- Non-Spark: 10 minutes, 500 MB, 516 kbps floor.
- Sume output is MP4 in both cases.
How to choose
Start from what the page lets you control. If you plan to run a Spark Ad, the page lists no duration restriction and only two formats, and it takes the caption from the organic post. If you plan a non-Spark ad, you control the caption field but you must stay within 10 minutes, 500 MB and the bitrate floor. The TikTok page does not say that one type is better, and neither does this post.
For the render, both paths use the same Sume tools. Trim sets the length, Timeline sets size and frame rate, and filter crops the frame. The difference is the check you run afterward: for a non-Spark ad, measure length, bytes and bitrate against the table above; for a Spark Ad, check the format and read the organic post's own rules on TikTok.
- Spark Ad: confirm .mp4 or .mov, and keep the caption to 4 lines.
- Non-Spark ad: confirm length, 500 MB, 516 kbps and the minimum size for your ratio.
- Either way: keep the rendered file, since Sume artifacts are new files and the source is never changed.
Sources
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