In the era of social media, countless platforms are available for people to express themselves and connect with others. Among these, there is one platform that has taken the world by storm Musical.ly.
Initially launched in 2014 in China, Musical.ly has become a favourite among teenagers globally. Here, we will take a closer look at what Musical.ly is all about, its features, history, and growth.
to Musical.ly
Musical.ly is a social media platform that offers video-based content. The platform primarily focuses on lip-syncing and music to create a unique and creative experience for users.
With the application, users can create videos and share them with their friends and followers. Here is a closer look at some of the subtopics that are worth exploring.
Overview of Musical.ly
Musical.ly initially started as a platform for amateurs to create their music videos and share them with a selected audience. The possibility of shooting 15-second videos, syncing them with a soundtrack and sharing them, created a revolutionary concept.
This simple idea became the basis of the social media platform, and it has become increasingly popular since its inception. Musical.ly has a vast library of music files for users to choose from.
Users can select their desired song to create their lip-syncing videos. Through the video function, users can express their creativity in exploring lip-syncing while sticking with the beat of the music.
By tapping into their creativity, users can produce their unique musical videos that stand out in social media. Features of Musical.ly
Musical.ly offers a range of features that make the platform enjoyable and entertaining for the audience.
Some of these features include lip syncing, music integration, video editing tools, social aspect, and verification. One of the most prominent features of Musical.ly is lip syncing, which allows users to dub their favourite soundtracks and create a unique performance.
The integration of music with video is another feature which makes the platform unique. Furthermore, the app offers video editing tools that are easy to use, which allows users to add effects, filters, and text to add to the quality of their video.
The social aspect of Musical.ly is that users can follow and interact with other users. This feature allows users to share videos and engage with their followers.
Finally, verification is another key feature of Musical.ly as it enables users to become verified and gain extra features such as ‘live streaming’ and ‘privacy protection.’
History and Growth of Musical.ly
Musical.ly had a short period of growth before it was acquired by ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, which led to the discontinuation of the Musical.ly app. However, the Musical.ly app community was later integrated with TikTok, without losing its core features.
Here we will explore some of the historical and growth aspects of this social media platform. Founding of Musical.ly
Musical.ly was founded by Alex Zhu and Luyu Yang in August 2014.
The platform was initially launched in Shanghai, China, as an independent startup. Initially, the Chinese company ‘Cicada’ was Zhu and Yang’s primary focus.
However, they pivoted to short-form video platforms like Musical.ly after receiving feedback from the users. With the emergence of Musical.ly, TikTok, and the integration of Helo, Douyin, and other related applications, ByteDance was founded in 2012.
The year 2016 saw Musical.ly’s integration of social media applications becoming the first international social application originated from China.
Strategies for Success
Musical.ly’s strategy for success was built on three pillars: logo positioning, lip-syncing, and app redesign. The app redesign came in 2016, following user feedback to improve the functionality of the platform.
Since simplicity is the key to success for any app, a simple layout featuring the post feed and users’ profile section makes navigation intuitive and user-friendly. The other two pillars of Musical.ly success are also integral to understanding why it was so successful.
The positioning of the logo was significant because it gave the app a unique and recognizable identity. It allowed users to share their Musical.ly videos instantly and better brand recognition for the app.
Finally, the primary feature of lip syncing enabled users to generate creative content, which attracted users and provided them with a platform to showcase their talents.
Conclusion
In summary, Musical.ly is a unique and innovative social media platform that has disrupted the industry. It has transformed how lip-syncing enthusiasts engage and share their performances, making it an ideal place to explore creativity.
Helmed by talented and visionary founders, the app offers tools and features that make video creation much more accessible and fun. With the integration with TikTok, the musical.ly community is now part of an even more massive social media family, bringing joy and entertainment to millions worldwide.Musical.ly has come a long way since its initial launch in 2014, and with the growth of social media, the platform has expanded into a full-blown entertainment community.
Musical.ly not only serves as a video-sharing platform for lip-syncing enthusiasts but has also seen impressive growth via robust partnerships, investments, and acquisitions. Here, we take a closer look at the partnerships and expansions of Musical.ly.
Partnerships and Expansion
Investment and Funding
Musical.ly became increasingly popular, and in 2016, it received a $16.6 million series A funding led by GGV Capital and Greylock. The large investment allowed the company to expand and provide more tools to users, as well as fund new content.
The funding allowed Musical.ly to improve the app’s functionality and expand its user base while also enhancing the user experience. This massive investment proved beneficial as Musical.ly’s revenue increased, and it became a stronger competitor in the social media industry.
Licensing Deals and Content Creation
Musical.ly began partnering with media companies like MTV and Warner Music to acquire licenses for music and create original content. The platform’s partnership with a media company like MTV is an excellent example of the app’s growth and influence in the entertainment industry.
MTV began using the app for creating content, and it further amplified Musical.ly’s reach. The partnership with Warner Music was another significant milestone for the company, with Musical.ly becoming the first social media platform to license the label’s music catalog.
The deal increased the accuracy of the lip-syncing options on the app and made it easier for users to select their preferred music track. Moreover, it also gave Musical.ly growing leverage in the music industry and helped to strengthen its position as a social media giant.
Acquisition by ByteDance
Acquisition of Musical.ly
Musical.ly was acquired by ByteDance, the parent company of Chinese media giant Toutiao, for $800 million in November 2017. The acquisition proved instrumental for the future of Musical.ly, which saw the firms value increase in the social media industry.
Musical.ly was an ideal match for ByteDances portfolio as TikTok and Toutiao faced stiff competition from other social media companies. Moreover, Musical.ly had been successful in building a massive user base, providing an ideal platform for ByteDance to expand on and diversify its social media offerings.
Merger with TikTok
ByteDance took the decision to merge Musical.ly with TikTok, its video-sharing app targeting other markets outside China. Douyin, the Chinese version of the app, was transformed into the internationally available TikTok.
Additionally, ByteDance also merged with Flipagram, a video sharing platform to create a new and robust video sharing platform. The merger benefited Musical.ly in numerous ways.
The merger opened up new markets and brought millions of new users to Musical.ly, creating new opportunities for content creators and marketers. With TikTok, Musical.ly continued to enhance the user experience and offer new features to end-users.
The platform continues to offer new tools for video creation and editing, building out a swathe of new features for audiences.
Conclusion
Musical.ly has created an outstanding impact in its short existence. It has disrupted social media industries with its unique and creative features that are appreciated worldwide.
The robust partnerships with significant players in the entertainment industry and the investment of millions made it possible for Musical.ly to expand its offerings and generate new revenue streams. With its acquisition by ByteDance, Musical.ly created new opportunities and expanded into new markets, while the merger with TikTok only added to its value.
The platform continues to evolve, providing a seamless and incredible user experience through its advanced video creation tools, excellent content, and relevant social features.The integration of Musical.ly into the TikTok platform led to the eventual shutdown of the platform in August 2018. While Musical.ly had a devoted user base, the move was made to allow ByteDance to consolidate all of its social media properties into a single platform.
Here, we will explore the reasons that led to the shutdown of Musical.ly, as well as its current ownership.
Reasons for Shutdown
ByteDance’s Strategy
ByteDance’s acquisition of Musical.ly was perceived as an excellent opportunity for the company to port its technology and user base into more markets. The firm then merged the features of Musical.ly into its short-form video app, TikTok, leaving no room for a standalone Musical.ly app.
ByteDance’s decision to shut down Musical.ly was part of a bigger strategy to unify all of its social media platforms into a single ecosystem. With the integration of Musical.ly into TikTok, ByteDance was able to enhance the platform’s features and reach an even more vast audience.
By combining these apps, ByteDance could leverage the strengths of each platform, while providing a more comprehensive and seamless social media experience for users.
International Expansion and Competition
The shutdown of Musical.ly also allowed ByteDance to establish its brand in more foreign markets. The firm had already acquired Flipagram, another video-sharing platform, earlier in the year, and the merger with Musical.ly and TikTok provided the necessary infrastructure to establish a solid presence in the international market.
In addition to global expansion, competition also played its part in the decision to shut down Musical.ly. Social media is an incredibly competitive industry, and the number of offerings available is continually increasing.
TikTok’s integration with Musical.ly brought a sufficient user base to the platform to gain more relevance and credibility, making it a better competitor against other social media giants like Instagram and Facebook. Current Ownership
Acquisition by ByteDance
Musical.ly was acquired by Chinese media giant ByteDance, which owns a portfolio of social media platforms that cater to a global audience. The acquisition was part of ByteDance’s strategy to assert its dominance in the global social media market.
Toutiao, a popular news aggregator app in China, owns ByteDance. With the acquisition, Musical.ly became part of a more substantial social media ecosystem, with an active user base of over 1 billion across all of ByteDance’s social media platforms.
Value and Investor Perception
ByteDance’s valuation has gone up since the acquisition of Musical.ly, which has helped to increase investor interest and confidence in the company’s prospects. TikTok’s value, which incorporates features from Musical.ly, has been estimated to be worth $50 billion, which reflects ByteDance’s market capitalization.
With the merger of its social media properties into a unified system, ByteDance was able to gain a more substantial stake in the social media industry. The current ownership model has allowed the company to leverage the individual strengths of each app and create a more comprehensive and robust social media ecosystem.
Conclusion
Musical.ly was a groundbreaking social media platform that disrupted the industry with its unique offerings and creative space to showcase talents worldwide. With the acquisition by ByteDance, its user base and features were integrated into the more massive TikTok platform.
While considered a blow to fans of the platform, the move makes sense as it allows ByteDance to consolidate all of its social media properties into one ecosystem. Additionally, the acquisition has increased ByteDance’s value and has attracted investor interest, which will likely have a positive impact on its future expansion plans.
In conclusion, the rise and eventual shutdown of Musical.ly mark a significant milestone in the social media landscape. The platform’s integration into TikTok, under the ownership of ByteDance, allowed for the consolidation and expansion of its user base and technology.
The partnerships, acquisitions, and strategy employed by ByteDance reflect the ever-evolving nature of the industry and the need for companies to adapt and grow. The merging of Musical.ly and TikTok created a more comprehensive and robust social media ecosystem, solidifying ByteDance’s presence in the global market.
This serves as a reminder that in the fast-paced world of social media, innovation, and strategic decision-making are key factors for success.