How Pre-Recorded Videos Are Dominating U.S. TikTok Product Sales

TikTok shop product sales in the U.S. are being powered by one clear leader—pre-recorded video content. As of Q1 2025, pre-recorded videos account for 60.6% of all TikTok Shop sales volume, up from 50.3% in Q2 2024. This marks a steady and significant rise, highlighting the growing impact of short-form product videos on consumer behavior.

Breaking Down the Sales Channels

Charm data, spanning from July 2023 to March 2025, shows a shift in how users interact with TikTok Shop. While live streaming and the shop tab still play a role, the majority of TikTok product sales now stem from short videos that auto-play in feeds and For You Pages.

Here’s how the sales volume was distributed by channel over time:

• Pre-Recorded Video Sales: These sales climbed from 54.1% in Q4 2023 to 60.6% in Q1 2025, establishing pre-recorded content as the dominant format. TikTok product sales through this channel grew quarter over quarter, peaking in Q4 2024 at 55.9% before climbing further. These videos autoplay in user feeds, turning passive scrolling into active purchasing. Brands that use this format effectively are seeing the strongest conversion rates.
• Live Stream Sales: Starting at just 12.3% of total sales in Q4 2023, live streams reached a high of 22.6% in Q4 2024 before dipping slightly to 21.8% in Q1 2025. The surge in Q4 suggests seasonal campaigns and real-time promotions were key drivers. Although it lags behind pre-recorded video, live stream on TikTok still plays a major role by creating urgency and real-time interaction.
• Shop Tab Sales: The TikTok shop tab's share fell from 33.6% in Q4 2023 to just 17.6% in Q1 2025. This steep decline reflects a shift away from catalog-style product discovery. It’s clear users prefer purchasing through content they already consume rather than searching through product listings.

Why Pre-Recorded Wins

Pre-recorded videos are convenient, digestible, and engaging. They blend seamlessly into users’ feeds and don’t require viewers to show up in real time. Sellers that add pre-recorded video to TikTok can create high-performing content that converts without the pressure of a live session. This flexibility has made the format dominant in driving TikTok product sales.

Live Streaming Still Matters

Even though it hasn’t overtaken pre-recorded content, live streams on TikTok continue to hold a solid share. With real-time interaction, exclusive promotions, and Q&A sessions, livestreaming drives urgency and impulse buys that short videos can’t replicate. It's a complementary format—not a replacement.

The Shop Tab’s Fade

Once a core entry point for purchases, the TikTok shop tab is now contributing less to TikTok product sales. This decline doesn’t mean it’s irrelevant—it just reflects that discovery-led shopping is outperforming static browsing. Sellers relying solely on the shop tab should consider shifting more of their efforts to content-driven strategies.

What Sellers Should Do Next

TikTok is no longer a passive platform for brand awareness—it's a performance channel. Sellers need to shift their mindset from traditional ecommerce to content-first commerce. Pre-recorded video should now be your go-to format, not a fallback. 

It drives the majority of TikTok product sales because it meets consumers where they already are: scrolling, watching, and engaging. Livestreams still play an important role in building urgency and interacting in real time, but they work best when layered on top of consistent video content.

If you're relying heavily on static product listings or just hoping users browse the TikTok shop tab, you're missing the bigger picture. Discovery is now powered by video.

Want to measure how your video content stacks up—and where to improve? Request a demo with Charm today to see how your content strategy compares to the top-performing sellers.