The social media app TikTok took the world by storm in just a few years. By 2020, TikTok reported that it had over 1.5 billion active users a month. The numbers make among the world’s most used social media apps. But have you ever wondered when did TikTok come out? Let’s dive into the success story of TikTok.
When Did TikTok Officially Launch?
TikTok debuted in the year 2016, in the month of September. It rapidly became a worldwide sensation.
The app evolved into a platform that could compete with powerhouses like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Although it made a late entry, TikTok has proven to have quite an insane amount of mainstream appeal in recent years.
It also succeeded in attracting a huge and loyal following. Also, in case you’re wondering how you can gain tons of followers, visit us.
TikTok is now worth more than USD 100 billion. It also has a whopping one and a half billion monthly active users.
But how did TikTok achieve such widespread popularity and financial success? And when did TikTok come out?
It all started with a tale of two halves, ‘Musical.ly,’ which became popular among teenagers in the west. And ‘Douyin’ is an app loved by teenagers in the east.
The Beginning Of TikTok: When Did TikTok Come Out?
If you want to know when did TikTok come out, you have to go way back. Let’s take a look at another very famed app that existed not so long ago.
Musical.ly originated from China in 2014. The founders Alex Zhu and Liu Yang thought of creating a platform for people to shoot music videos. The idea was to create a simple way to show their videos share them with their friends.
Musical.ly was initially introduced to Serviceh China and the US
But, it was American teenagers who took notice of the app. By July 2015, Musical.ly had built a large following and surpassed Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram in iOS popularity.
Quite obviously, a lot of these teenagers became influencers. If you also wish to become one, here is a quick crash course for you.
While Musical.ly was taking off in the west, a new app started emerging in the East. In 2016, Beijing-based parent company ByteDance launched an app called ‘Douyin’ in China.
About a year later, ByteDance released the app internationally. But with new branding and a new name, TikTok.
The Creation Of TikTok
In 2018, ByteDance acquired Musical.ly for a reported $1 billion in order to grow into the western market.
The next year, Bytedance merged Musical.ly and TikTok’s user accounts. Under the moniker TikTok, they combined the two apps into one.
The merger of TikTok and Musical.ly was only the beginning. It became a single brand with a single user base.
The app gained a lot of traction pretty quickly. It quickly rose to the helm of the Apple App Store’s most popular apps list.
TikTok, on the surface, looks similar to the litany of other video-centric social media apps that came before it. But what makes TikTok different from them is its algorithm.
TikTok makes binge-watching irresistible. It offers far more possibilities for creators. The biggest advantage of TikTok is the ability to post about anything.
Each category is offering exposure for those who can adapt their content to the short-form video.
Just like other apps, entertainment seems to be the main draw at the moment. But there is also an increase in Serviceh education aspiration and business-oriented content.
The Rise Of TikTok
As far as promotional partnerships go, the platform scored its first gig in the US in 2019. The contract was with none other than the NFL (National Football League).
The collab witnessed the platform launch a variety of events and fan service for the hundredth season of the NFL.
TikTok now boasts multiple collaborations with a variety of celebs and brands globally.
Today, TikTok remains a highly profitable and trendy social media platform.
Similar to other such apps, the platform ropes in the majority of the revenue through ads.
Content creators have been the foundation of TikTok’s success. The users have access to a wide range of songs, effects, and filters. And these are just a few among the countless ways to get likes and make their videos go viral.
These self-created videos are quick, cringeworthy, and often downright bizarre. It’s a sharp contrast to most social media apps, which tend to focus on highlights or to show the best version of ourselves.
Once they see the video is your authentic self having fun, people love that because it’s a place to just escape.
The platform is undeniably a strong contender for the throne of the social media giant. If you’ve started using the platform, this guide will surely help you out.