TikTok is a viral social media app that people cannot stop talking about. Many people wonder how the TikTok app came to be, but it’s not an easy question to answer in one sentence.
In recent years, TikTok has become a hot spot for viral content. From bizarre trends to dance routines, this app has got it all. The app is also known by other names, such as Douyin, Musical.ly, & A.me, but the name “TikTok” is getting more and more popular every day.
You might also know TikTok by the names Douyin and Musical.ly, but it’s clear that the name “TikTok” is here to stay. So how did the platform become what we know it as today? What was TikTok before?
What Is TikTok
Tik Tok is a social media app where people can post short videos. It’s sometimes seen as a bite-size version of YouTube, with videos that tend to be less than five minutes long. It has a mission to inspire creativity and bring joy and is considered the leading destination for shorter videos.
Creators have access to a variety of filters and effects and a massive music library. With what’s available on TikTok, you can easily make catchy videos that go viral; it’s now one of the most popular apps in the industry.
What’s cool about the app is that you can explore recommended content from other influencers even if you don’t follow them. And because there are so many influencers and daily streams, it’ll keep the feed filled with fresh content. 70% of users spend a lot of time on the platform every week and have been able to reach new audiences.
History Of TikTok
TikTok is one of the most popular apps for sharing short video content online. They have more than a billion monthly users, making it a phenomenon on the rise.
Chinese tech giant ByteDance developed TikTok. It was launched in September 2016 under the name “Douyin”, – which was marketed as a video-sharing social networking service similar to Facebook and Instagram.
What Is Musical.ly
Musical.ly is a social app that blends social networking and music into a unique DIY video platform. Users can create, save and share videos of up to 15 seconds. Video creators on musical.ly typically show lip-syncing, dance routines and comedy parodies. They can like and comment on other videos and even remix them to share with others.
Founded in 2014, Musical.ly was a popular Chinese social media service with an office in Shanghai and California. Its users created & shared lip-sync videos on this platform. You can choose different soundtracks and time-lapse options to create music videos with the app. It also provides pre-set filters and effects so your videos will look even more unique!
The app also allowed users to browse popular “musers”, content, trending songs, sounds and hashtags, and uniquely interact with their fans. It was much more than a standard social media platform.
Was TikTok Previously Musical.ly
The Musical.ly service and userbase migrated to TikTok, but it wasn’t the previous version of the application. By June 2016, Musical.ly had 90 million registered users, up from 10 million a year earlier. And by May 2017, it had reached over 200 million users.
In June 2016, Musical.ly had over 90 million registered users, up from 10 million a year earlier. By May 2017, the app had reached over 200 million users.
On November 10th, 2017, ByteDance broke the news of their acquisition of the Musical.ly app. On August 2nd, 2018, TikTok was officially merged into the app that had been previously known as Musical.ly.
Musical.ly was not precisely the predecessor of TikTok but more of a competitor that got bought out and acquired.
How TikTok Differs From Musical.ly
TikTok is a short-form video app much broader in scope than Musical.ly. However, it isn’t just about lip-syncing to music, which makes them different apps altogether.
TikTok offers millions of users an unprecedented amount of sounds and song snippets and features that allow for lots of creative options. There is also an option to add videos created on your phone directly.
Later TikTok added a feature that has been popular with users, reactions. Users can now record their reactions to videos and share them. TikTok has also included a feature that helps you monitor your screen time on the app.
You can create videos on TikTok ranging from challenges, dance videos, magic tricks, & funny videos. The main differentiating factor between Musical.ly and Tik Tok is each platform’s video production scope.
Is There A Chinese Version Of TikTok
Yes, it is Douyin. a video app that has become exceedingly popular in China and is famous for its filters and captivating music videos.
It was released back in 2016 and allowed users to share short videos with others. Douyin is the Chinese version of TikTok. Two apps are different in name, userbase, and content. But the interface is broadly similar. However, there is one significant difference between Douyin and TikTok.
Douyin allows Chinese vendors and companies who have a business account to sell their products on the app. However, for now, it is not possible on TikTok.
