Widely used video sharing app
Although YouTube remains the undisputed king of video streaming apps, there is another contender that’s reeling in a lot of users thanks to its unique feature. TikTok is a social media app where users can upload original short videos and add music to them for other users to watch. It was formerly known as Musically or Musical.ly, but was changed to TikTok after being acquired by ByteDance. Since the acquisition, TikTok has expanded its reach exponentially with millions of users logging into the app every day. Despite the simplicity of its features, TikTok has clearly clicked with a new generation of users that really appreciate the short-form video format.
TikTok’s most defining feature is its short-form original content videos. Unlike other video streaming apps, the videos you upload to TikTok should only be 15 seconds or less. It is primarily known for lip-syncing and for adding effects. In these types of videos, users can take a popular song and sing along with them, adding their own spin and flair to the music. However, TikTok can be used in a wide variety of scenarios and it is not limited to comedy or music videos.
General Concept
Browsing
Millions of videos are being uploaded and watched on TikTok every day. Viewers can filter their searches according to their preferences to help narrow down their videos. They can also browse by categories to view those that are more relevant to their interests. TikTok has an intuitive feed-like interface that’s very easy to navigate when browsing it. All you have to do is scroll down to load and view new videos. Due to TikTok’s 15-second video limit, each video loads quickly making video browsing a faster and simpler experience.
Creating Videos
TikTok is not just for browsing videos. It’s also equipped with a lot of tools and features for creating TikTok content of your own. You can shoot videos directly from the app and use its basic editing tools to process your video. You can merge, cut, and crop videos to your liking and add effects like filters and stickers. There are dozens of free pre-made filters that can be applied to videos and live streams alike. You can also choose from over 100 emoji stickers to add to your creations.
Of course, one of TikTok’s best features is that you can use popular music in videos. Lip-syncing, as mentioned above, is a massive category in the community, but you can use TikTok’s available music catalog for just about any purpose.
A Unique Social Media Experience
TikTok was not the first app to utilize the short-form video format, but it’s definitely one of the most successful ventures. It has succeeded in capitalizing on a young, fast-paced demographic that values the quick production and viewing of videos. It also integrates the social media aspect fluidly into the app as well. Users can comment, like, and share videos just like they could do with other social media apps like Instagram and Facebook. TikTok may not be entirely unique as a concept, but the experience of using it and being part of its community certainly is.
