A MUSICAL MERGER
Fans of the short- form video apps TikTok and musical. ly. have a reason to cheer. The apps have now merged into a single platform
Those who love watching videos on their mobile phones will definitely be familiar with TikTok, a destination for short- form mobile videos. The app, which enables everyone to be a creator, and encourages users to share their passion and creative expression through videos, has announced its collaboration with musical. ly. The companies will unite to create a new global app. The newly upgraded platform, which retains the TikTok name, creates a unified user experience, debuts a new logo and user interface and offers greater capabilities for video creation.
TikTok, after this collaboration, will incorporate the most popular elements of both apps with a feed that highlights the users’ community, in addition to a ‘ For You’ feed that uniquely serves as a curation of personalised video recommendations based on viewing preferences. The company, therefore, claims to become the world’s number one go- to destination for short- form video content creation and consumption.
Existing creators’ accounts, content and fan base will move automatically to the new TikTok app, where creators will keep all of their pre- existing content and fans while enjoying the opportunity to reach a bigger and more diverse global audience than ever before. The upgraded app is also expected to offer an effortless, compelling, and personalised viewing experience, for which it has introduced certain new features as well.
Some of them are:
A ‘ reaction’ feature that allows the user to react to his/ her friends’ videos directly from the phone
Enhanced creative tools like interactive gesture filters that unlock features such as funhouse mirror camera effects
VR- type filters that can be activated just by blinking
Green screen- like back ground effects.
Alex Zhu, co- founder of musical. ly and senior vice president of TikTok says, “musical. ly recently reached a new milestone of 100 million monthly active users and we are excited to enter into a new chapter. TikTok, the sound of a ticking clock, represents the short nature of the video platform. We want to capture the world’s creativity and knowledge under this new name and remind everyone to treasure every precious life moment. Combining musical. ly and TikTok is a natural fit given the shared mission of both experiences — to create a community where everyone can be a creator.”
According to Alex, the new TikTok app provides inspiring content, better ways to connect fans and creators, and easy video capturing and editing tools that empower creativity and allow every user to share and celebrate memorable moments through short video clips that make every second valuable.
“As part of TikTok’s commitment to creators, it will launch a series of new creator programmes to provide technical support, performance insights and guidance on growth strategy,” he added.
In addition to an enhanced user experience, TikTok is also launching a new safety centre dedicated to providing tips and resources to help users navigate a range of topics and build an online experience that feels safe and welcoming.
The upgraded app also offers a new digital wellbeing feature with a screen time management alert when users have been on TikTok for more than two hours.