If you have been immersed in social networks Lately, you have probably found short videos of people who sync their lips, dance, do stunts or make short skits. These videos come from TikTok, an application that is rapidly increasing in popularity. But what is TikTok?
Since these videos have spread like wildfire on the web, you're probably wondering what TikTok is, how to make your own videos and how to make the most of the application. Then, in this article, you will discover what TikTok is, how it works and how you can use it.
What is TikTok?
You may remember those six-second Vine videos that drove dozens of Viners to Internet stardom. These vines began the trend of short videos (and also decreased the attention span of the world).
After the launch of Vine in 2012, Musical.ly came out in 2014. Like Vine, Musical.ly focused on short videos, particularly the kind that involved lip sync with music. By 2017, Musical.ly had hundreds of millions of users creating fast music videos from 15 seconds to one minute long.
So what does this have to do with TikTok? A lot, actually
TikTok originally started as an application called Douyin, which is essentially the Chinese version of it. This Chinese variation still exists today, as it is there to comply with the special censorship laws of the Asian giant. In other words, the world has access to TikTok, while China can only use Douyin.
ByteDance developed Douyin in 2016 and launched TikTok for the rest of the world in 2017. The application was an immediate success, gaining millions of users in a fairly short period of time.
This is where Musical.ly comes into play. TikTok grew even more when ByteDance decided to merge with Musical.ly in August 2018. Users of Musical.ly were able to keep their accounts for a general transition on the new platform.
In addition, TikTok also combined the Musical.ly logo with his own, and even adopted the same nickname of "musers" that Musical.ly gave his audience. Since then, it has increased in popularity and is now considered one of the main social media applications.
How does TikTok work?
Now that you know a little about the background of TikTok, it's time to learn more about the application itself. With this app, you can post extravagant 15-second videos for the entire muser community to watch. You also have the option to link these videos in your story, which can last up to 60 seconds.
Either way, you have a very short period of time for your videos. But it is still not as limiting as the maximum of six seconds of Vine. Unlike this one, you can upload videos directly from your smartphone, instead of having to record them directly in the application.
How to use TikTok?
You do not have to register to get an account in the application. However, signing up for an account allows you to follow other users and make videos. When you open the application for the first time, you will probably be overwhelmed to see the endless sequence of videos that appear on your homepage.
TikTok shows you recommended videos, as well as videos of the musers you follow. Scroll through the suggested videos and click on the username you want. If you enjoy the rest of its content, keep track of it and keep up to date with all its new posts.
Try not to see too much content. When you spend more than 90 minutes in the application, you will receive a notification to take a break. This application has been criticized for its addictive qualities, highlighting some of the negative effects of social networks.
In terms of making videos, the application works a bit like Snapchat. You can record them by pressing and holding a large red button and unlike Snapchat, you can edit them later. The editing options obviously don't compare to Adobe Premiere Pro, but you can still trim your videos and adjust the speed.
While some effects allow you to draw on your screen, others allow you to test filters and even use augmented reality to change the environment around you. If you know how to use filters on Snapchat, you should get used to TikTok quickly. Also, you can create a short sequence of images from your mobile and use it as a video.
The main attraction of TikTok is the use of music. Each muser incorporates a song into his video using the huge library of song clips that feature almost every genre. If you are not a music fan, you can also use dialogue clips of funny videos.
What types of videos can you post?
Although TikTok only allows a short recording time for your videos, that doesn't have to limit you in the creativity department. In fact, time limitation generally generates more creative and entertaining videos.
You can publish any type of video in that application, but the most popular include music. You don't even have to know how to sing or play an instrument; you just have to keep abreast of trends. And using the latest songs can help your videos go viral.
As for the type of content you should publish, the possibilities are almost endless. Just think of the application as an abbreviated version of YouTube videos. This means that you can publish anything from tutorials to entertaining technology videos.
If you touch the magnifying glass in the lower menu bar, you will see some of the most recent and popular videos. You will notice that TikTok separates some videos into different playlists. Some of these playlists belong to games, art, comedy, dance, physical exercise, cars, beauty, memes and more.
TikTok also goes through several challenges that a lot of musers try. These challenges are not created by the application itself; They start with a muser and extend from there.
For example, the challenge of random stair dance involves performing a random dance along a flight of stairs. Many users turned to TikTok to make this challenge in several creative variations. Musers always seem to present different trends, memes and challenges weekly. When one trend ends, another begins.
Should you download it?
TikTok may seem exclusive domain for teenagers, but it is entertaining for all ages. You just need to find the right musers to follow, and once you do, you will receive a daily flow of fun content. Since the beginning of TikTok, millions of videos have been published, so you will surely find at least one type of video you enjoy watching.