Brief Overview of TikTok
TikTok is a popular short form video app that allows users to create, share, and discover videos up to 60 seconds. The app launched in 2016 by ByteDance, a Beijing-based internet technology company. Within a few short years, TikTok has grown to become one of the most downloaded apps with over 1.5 billion monthly active users worldwide as of January 2024 (https://www.businessofapps.com/data/tik-tok-statistics/).
Some key features that set TikTok apart are its powerful video editing tools, use of hashtags and algorithms to personalize the For You feed, and its vast library of sounds and music. TikTok’s mission is to “inspire creativity and bring joy”. The app has become known for its lighthearted, entertaining videos across categories like dance, comedy, talent, and more.
Key Features that Make TikTok Unique
TikTok sets itself apart from other social platforms with its robust and creative video editing tools, filters, and effects. Users can easily edit and customize their short videos, adding special effects, sounds, voiceovers, and more. Some of the standout video features include:
- Hundreds of filters and AR effects like green screens and interactive backgrounds that enhance videos.
- An extensive music library with the ability to sample sounds or add original audio.
- Creative editing tools to trim, splice, and adjust the speed of clips.
- Text and sticker overlays to creatively augment videos.
- Duet and react options to engage with other videos on the platform.
TikTok’s effects and filters encourage creativity and self-expression. Users can add a fun twist or completely transform their videos. This sets TikTok apart from platforms like YouTube or Facebook focused on more raw, unedited video. TikTok brings video creation and sharing to the masses with an easy yet robust toolset.
TikTok Competitors
There are several popular apps that compete directly with TikTok in the short-form video space. Three of the biggest TikTok competitors are Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Snapchat Spotlight.
Instagram Reels
Instagram Reels is a feature within the Instagram app that allows users to create and share 15-60 second short videos set to music or other audio clips. Reels has many of the same features as TikTok, such as video effects, filters, stickers, and text tools. Since launching in 2020, Reels has grown rapidly, thanks in part to Instagram’s large existing user base. One advantage Reels has over TikTok is seamless integration with Stories and the main Instagram feed (Source).
YouTube Shorts
YouTube Shorts allows people to create brief videos up to 60 seconds long specifically designed for mobile viewing. Shorts has access to YouTube’s massive music library for use in videos. Videos can be edited with various effects, filters, and tools. One benefit of Shorts is the potential to be promoted across YouTube to gain more viewers. However, the focus remains on entertainment rather than community (Source).
Snapchat Spotlight
Spotlight is Snapchat’s short video feature similar to TikTok. Users can record videos up to 60 seconds long and add creative tools like filters, captions, and music. Spotlight aims to showcase the most entertaining Snaps through an algorithmic feed. Snapchat offers financial incentives for top-performing Spotlight videos. A key difference from TikTok is Spotlight’s anonymity – videos don’t show the creator’s public profile (Source).
Instagram Reels
Instagram Reels is a feature within Instagram that allows users to create and share 15-60 second short form videos. It was launched by Instagram’s parent company Meta (formerly Facebook) in August 2020 as a competitor to the popular app TikTok.
Like TikTok, Instagram Reels offers a way for users to create fun and entertaining short videos set to music or other audio. Users can add creative effects and filters to make their videos stand out. Reels can be shared to a user’s followers on their Instagram feed or to the wider Instagram community through the Explore page.
Some key stats on Instagram Reels (source):
- Over 200 billion Reels are played across Instagram each month as of 2022
- Reels make up over 20% of the time people spend on Instagram
- 74% of Instagram users use Reels as of a 2022 survey
So with its vast built-in audience within Instagram and engaging video features, Instagram Reels provides a similar short video experience as TikTok for brands and creators looking to reach their target audience.
YouTube Shorts
YouTube Shorts is a short-form video platform owned by Google and integrated directly into the YouTube mobile app. YouTube Shorts allows users to create and watch 60 second (or less) vertical videos using multi-segment filming, speed controls, and music samples. The format was launched by YouTube in 2020 as a competitor to the popular app TikTok.
Some key statistics on YouTube Shorts:
- Over 2.3 billion people use YouTube every month (EarthWeb).
- YouTube Shorts receives over 50 billion daily views (PhotoTutorial).
- More than 70% of YouTube’s total watch time is on mobile devices, making the vertical short video format ideal (StoryLab).
- Around 80% of internet users under 35 years old use YouTube Shorts (PhotoTutorial).
Overall, YouTube Shorts is seeing massive growth and engagement as short-form, mobile video becomes increasingly popular. The built-in YouTube user base gives Shorts a major advantage over competitors.
Snapchat Spotlight
Snapchat Spotlight, which is owned by Snap Inc., offers a similar short-form video experience as TikTok.1 Snapchat, which launched in 2011, introduced Spotlight in November 2020 as a dedicated place within the app to showcase user-generated short videos. 2 Videos submitted to Spotlight can be up to 60 seconds long.
Spotlight aims to highlight the most entertaining videos from Snapchat’s community. Users can submit their own videos to be featured, or simply view, react to, and share the Spotlight videos. Much like TikTok’s For You feed, the Snapchat Spotlight feed shows a stream of the latest and most engaging videos.
With over 293 million daily active users on Snapchat as of 2021, Spotlight provides huge potential reach for short videos.3 Snap reported that over 125 million Snapchatters watch Spotlight every month. The company also noted that the average time spent watching Spotlight increased over 60% from Q1 2021 to Q2 2021, showing strong engagement with the feature.4
1 https://www.socialpilot.co/blog/snapchat-statistics
2 https://startupbonsai.com/snapchat-statistics/
3 https://blog.hootsuite.com/snapchat-statistics-for-business/
4 https://www.socialpilot.co/blog/snapchat-statistics
Triller
Triller is a video-sharing social networking service owned by Triller LLC. It was originally launched in 2015 as a music video app but has since expanded into general short-form videos [1]. Triller allows users to create and share 15-second to 1-minute videos set to music or other audio. The app focuses primarily on music videos and music creators.
Some of the key features that make Triller popular for music include:
- Tools to edit videos with music, effects, filters
- Ability for creators to share videos and gain followers
- Sections featuring trending music videos and songs
- Integration with streaming services like Spotify to add music
Triller has attracted many top musicians and bands to create content, such as The Weeknd, Cardi B, Marshmello, Eminem, and others [2]. This gives it a leg up for music content compared to competitors.
According to its S-1 filing, Triller claims to have over 550 million lifetime signups [3]. However, third-party estimates of its monthly active users range from 13 million to as low as 2 million [4]. Still, the app provides a popular alternative, especially for musicians and music fans looking to engage through short videos.
Byte
Byte is a short-form video app that was launched in January 2020 as the spiritual successor to Vine, the popular 6-second video app that was discontinued in 2016. Like Vine, Byte focuses on 6-second videos that loop continuously.
Byte was created by Dom Hofmann, who was also a co-founder of Vine. The app looks and functions very similarly to Vine, allowing users to shoot 6-second videos, add various filters and effects, and share their creations. Byte also includes features like a global feed, tools for finding and following other users, and the ability to compile videos into longer “bytes” of content.
In its first week after launch in early 2020, Byte was downloaded over 1.3 million times according to Sensor Tower. This exceeded the number of downloads Vine received in its first week, showing the enduring popularity of short-form video content years after Vine’s shutdown.
Comparison of Top Alternatives
When comparing the top TikTok alternatives, there are a few key factors to consider including user base size, features, pros and cons. Here’s an overview:
Instagram Reels
As part of the popular Instagram app, Instagram Reels benefits from Instagram’s over 1 billion monthly active users. Reels allows users to create and share 15-60 second multi-clip videos with audio, effects and creative tools. Reels has similar features to TikTok like duets, stitches, and AR effects. The downside is that the algorithm favors branded content from businesses and influencers rather than everyday users (Source).
YouTube Shorts
YouTube Shorts is Google’s short-form video offering and is seamlessly integrated into the main YouTube app used by over 2 billion people. Shorts has multi-segment recording, speed controls, and the massive YouTube music library. As it is still new, Shorts’ algorithm is still being developed and optimized. The focus remains more on established creators rather than new users (Source).
Triller
Triller has around 50 million monthly active users. Its key features include AI-powered editing and recommendations, and content categorized into channels like sports, fashion, animals, etc. Pros are its polished editing tools and cool effects. Cons are a smaller community and allegations of inflating user numbers through bots (Source).
The Appeal of Short Video Apps
Short video apps have seen a massive increase in popularity due to several key trends. According to research from Yaguara, 33% of social media marketers plan to invest in short-form videos in 2023, and 47% say these bite-sized videos are more likely to go viral.1 Short videos allow creators to connect with their audience in new engaging ways. With lower production barriers, creators of all sizes can leverage short videos to grow their personal brands. The snackable format also leads to increased engagement and sharing. As Digital Delane notes, short videos hold viewers’ attention better than longer content, with 80% of smartphone users preferring videos under 2 minutes.2 Overall, short-form video presents exciting opportunities for creators and marketers looking to make compelling content that spreads.
1. https://www.yaguara.co/short-form-video-statistics/
2. https://digitaldelane.com/the-rise-of-short-form-video-content
