Musical.ly was once a dominant force in the social media landscape. We’ll try not to hit you with the nostalgia train, but you had to be there.
The app was used to share videos of people lip-syncing to songs and sounds. The content creators on the app were called Musers, the For You Page was called the Feature page, and there was a leaderboard that showed the top Musers at every point in time.
We’re making all these comparisons to TikTok because that’s exactly what Musical.ly went on to become. However, its journey to becoming the global sensation called TikTok is a story you should probably know.
The Rise of Musical.Ly
Launched in 2014, Musical.ly quickly captured the hearts of teenagers and young adults worldwide. The app’s primary focus was on lip-syncing and short dance videos, set to popular music tracks. Its user-friendly interface and emphasis on creativity contributed to its quick rise. By 2016, Musical.ly boasted a user base of over 90 million, which was threatening to topple one of the big three Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat.
The app’s success could be attributed to several factors:
- User-centric design: Musical.ly’s intuitive interface made it easy for users to create and share videos.
- Emphasis on creativity: The platform encouraged users to express themselves through lip-syncing, dancing, and comedic skits.
- Strong community building: Musical.ly fostered a sense of belonging among its users, with features like duets and challenges encouraging interaction.
The TikTok Acquisition
In a strategic move to expand its global footprint, Chinese tech giant ByteDance acquired Musical.ly in November 2017 for $1 billion.
ByteDance already owned a similar platform in China called Douyin or TikTok. However, it struggled to expand into foreign markets, and the acquisition of Musical.ly allowed it to combine the strengths of both apps to become the global phenomenon it is today.
The Birth of a New TikTok
On August 2, 2018, Musical.ly officially merged with TikTok, resulting in a single, unified platform. This transition was seamless for existing users, with accounts and content migrating smoothly to the new app.
TikTok inherited the core features of Musical.ly, including lip-syncing, video creation, and a strong emphasis on user-generated content. However, it also introduced new functionalities such as longer video formats, augmented reality effects, and advanced editing tools.
TikTok’s Global Dominance
The merger of Musical.ly and TikTok proved to be a masterstroke. The combined platform rapidly gained traction worldwide, leaping past its predecessor in terms of user base and content diversity. TikTok’s algorithm, which effectively curates content based on user preferences, played a crucial role in its success.
Plus, TikTok’s focus on building a creative community through features like duets, stitches, and challenges, carried over from Musical.ly to solidify its position as a leading social media platform. The app has become a cultural phenomenon, influencing trends, music, and fashion on a global scale.
Conclusion
Musical.ly was a big thing during its time, and even if some may view the change through the lens of nostalgia as a bad one, from a business standpoint, it was a brilliant idea. The merger of these two platforms created a powerful force that has shaped the way we consume and create content today.
