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A 2016 Forbes article said "If you want to reach teens and tweens in the U.S., keeping up with the latest app is imperative, and musical.ly is it. Growing at a phenomenal speed, musical.ly has become in less than two years one of the hottest mainstream social networks in the country."

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introduced to Musically in 2017 --> grew and was transferred over to TikTok

pays creators based on following and engagement

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Musical.ly launches $50 million ‘creator fund’ to build out its community | TechCrunch

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In November, the popular lip-syncing app Musical.ly announced its acquisition by Chinese social media giant Toutiao, owned by Bytedance, in a deal sources

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"Official Launch: In June 2020, TikTok launched TikTok For Business to provide a central hub for its advertising and marketing solutions."

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Creator fund launched on Musical.ly and transferred to TikTok

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Creator fund launched on Musical.ly and transferred to TikTok

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Musical.ly, which makes a short-form video app popular among teens, announced that it is investing up to $50 million in a fund to support its users - or "Musers," as it calls them.

Over the next two years, according to the company, the Musical.ly Creator Fund will be used to invest in a variety of programs, which may include college scholarships, a "creator marketplace," and co-development deals with individual video creators and media partners on new formats.

The announcement comes as Bytedance, a Chinese internet media company, officially closed its acquisition of Musical.ly this week. Announced last month, Bytedance's deal for Musical.ly is reportedly worth up to $1 billion.

With the deal, Musical.ly will continue to operate as an independent platform, headed by co-founders Louis Yang and Alex Zhu.

"Our vision is to inspire the world to create, and we're excited to offer our users the ability to express their creativity, advance their talents, and even make a living on Musical.ly," Zhu said in a statement. "From everyday creators to established influencers, our users make Musical.ly a dynamic and entertaining video community for millions of people around the world."

The Musical.ly Creator Fund could go toward scholarships and educational grants for college students to pursue careers in the world of video storytelling and digital media; a marketplace to let creators exchange and sell creative assets (such as augmented-reality objects or original music), as well as instruct and participate in virtual workshops and collaborate with brands; and a "Co-Innovation Partner Program" under which Musical.ly would work with select media and content partners to develop new formats and technologies for mobile video storytelling.

According to the companies, the Bytedance acquisition will let Musical.ly tap into Bytedance's huge user base in China, Japan, Korea, and elsewhere in Asia. Musical.ly also intends to incorporate technology from Bytedance's Toutiao AI Lab, devoted to developing machine-learning algorithms for personalized content recommendations.

"We are impressed by the passion of the [Musical.ly] user community, whose creativity, humor, and expression of their interests through short videos has made Musical.ly a powerful and engaging platform," said Yiming Zhang, founder and CEO of Bytedance.

Launched three years ago, Musical.ly has more than 215 million users for its lip-syncing and short-video app, skewing toward teen girls. It also has a sister app, Live.ly, for live-streaming video.

Musical.ly had raised $147 million from investors including GGV Capital, GX Capital, Qiming Venture Partners, Susquehanna International Group, and Cheetah Mobile.

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Musical.ly Establishes $50 Million Creator Fund, Closes Deal With China's Bytedance

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Musical.ly, which makes a short-form video app popular among teens, announced that it is investing up to $50 million in a fund to support its users - or "Musers," as it calls them. Over the next two years, according to the company, the Musical.ly Creator Fund will be used to invest in a variety of [...]

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Introducing TikTok Shop - Newsroom | TikTok

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TikTok is the world’s leading destination for short-form mobile videos. Our mission is to capture and present the world’s creativity, knowledge, and moments that matter in everyday life. TikTok empowers everyone to be a creator directly from their smartphones, and is committed to building a community by encouraging users to share their passion and creative expression through their videos.

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New Study Confirms TikTok Drives Streaming, But There’s No Magic Bullet on Going Viral

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A new Luminate study measures TikTok’s impact on streaming and discovery, affirming the platform’s influence on music.

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"In 2017, Chinese tech company ByteDance acquired Musical.ly for $1 billion and merged it with its own video-sharing app, TikTok."

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Ability to Create Short Form Informational Content

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Ability to Create Short Form Informational Content

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Musical.ly was more focused on the music and dancing niche, where tiktok has now captured everything and sort of exploded short form content

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Creating a good hook to stop people from scrolling

Keeping content exciting throughout whole video

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Includes 1-10 minute videos

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Data Shows That Longer Clips Are Gaining Traction on TikTok

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It seems that "longer short" videos are now gaining more traction.

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Musical.ly's lip sync trend introduced songs becoming social media viral

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Musical.ly's lip sync trend introduced songs becoming social media viral

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Musical.ly’s Teenage Revolution: How the Trend-Setting Lip-Sync App Is Changing the Music Industry

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Musical.ly: How teens and the lip sync app are changing the music industry.

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videos on Tik Tok have become hyper specific based on your activity

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Social Media Marketing & Management Dashboard

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The TikTok algorithm is the fuel that feeds the platform's highly addictive For You Page. Here's everything brands need to know about how the TikTok algorithm works, and how you can work with it.

What is the TikTok algorithm?

The TikTok algorithm is a recommendation system that determines which videos will appear on your (unique and highly personalized) For You page.

No two users will see the same videos on their For You page, and the videos you see might change over time based on your viewing preferences and even your current state of mind.

Here's how TikTok itself defines the TikTok For You page algorithm:

"A stream of videos curated to your interests, making it easy to find content and creators you love ... powered by a recommendation system that delivers content to each user that is likely to be of interest to that particular user."

How does the TikTok algorithm work?

Social platforms originally kept their algorithms secret. This makes sense since the recommendation system is a proprietary technology that helps make each social network unique.

Algorithms are a key way social networks draw us in and keep us paying attention. TikTok doesn't want spammers and other shady characters to be able to game the algorithm to get more attention than they deserve.

However, as people have become more skeptical about the inner workings of social networks, most platforms have revealed the basic workings of their algorithms.

Fortunately, that means we now know some of the key ranking signals for the TikTok recommendation algorithm, straight from TikTok - we describe them in detail below.

TikTok algorithm ranking signals

User interactions, video information, and device and account settings are the main factors that influence the TikTok algorithm.

1. User interactions

Much like the Instagram algorithm, the TikTok algorithm bases recommendations on a user's interactions with content on the app. What kind of interactions? Anything that offers clues about the kind of content the user likes, or doesn't like.

The For You page recommends content based on several factors, including:

Which accounts you follow

Comments you've posted

Creators or sounds you've chosen to hide

Videos you've liked or shared on the app

Videos you've added to your favorites

Videos you've marked as "Not Interested"

Videos you've reported as inappropriate

Longer videos you watch all the way to the end (aka video completion rate)

Content you create on your own account

Interests you've expressed by interacting with organic content and ads

2. Video information

While user interaction signals are based on the way you interact with other users on the app, video information signals are based on the content you tend to seek out through Discover or Search.

This can include details like:

*if you want to understand more about how your TikTok hashtag strategy affects your reach via the algorithm, watch our video:

3. Device and account settings

These are settings TikTok uses to optimize performance. However, since they're based on one-time settings choices rather than active engagements, they do not have as much influence on what you see on the platform as user interaction and video information signals.

Some of the device and account settings included in the TikTok algorithm are:

Language preference

Country setting (you may be more likely to see content from people in your own country)

Type of mobile device

Categories of interest you selected as a new user

What's not included in the TikTok algorithm

The following types of content will NOT be recommended by the algorithm:

Duplicated content

Content you've already seen

Content the algorithm flags as spam (including videos "seeking to artificially increase traffic")

Potentially upsetting content (TikTok gives the examples of "graphic medical procedures" or "legal consumption of regulated goods")

And here's the good news for all new TikTok users, or those who haven't yet built up a large follower base. TikTok does NOT base recommendations on follower count or on a history of previous high-performing videos.

Sure, accounts with more followers will likely get more views because people are actively seeking that content. However, if you create great content that speaks directly to your target audience, you have as much chance to land on their For You page as an account that has had previous viral videos (this includes even the biggest TikTok stars).

Not convinced? Here's the scoop straight from TikTok:

"You may come across a video in your feed that doesn't appear to ... have amassed a huge number of likes.... Bringing a diversity of videos into your For You feed gives you additional opportunities to stumble upon new content categories, discover new creators, and experience new perspectives."

Your goal is to be one of those new creators for your target audience. Here are 9 tips to help you do just that.

9 tips for getting picked up by the TikTok algorithm

1. Find your subculture

It's important to find existing communities to engage with on all social platforms. But the nature of the TikTok recommendation algorithm makes this an even more important step on the app.

That's because unlike on other social networks, where people spend much of their time engaging with accounts they already follow, TikTokers spend most of their time on the For You page. And 70% of them say they feel like part of a community on the platform.

If you can tap into an existing community-or subculture-you're more likely to be amplified to the right audience. Fortunately, TikTok subcultures gather around hashtags (more on those later). Some of the top communities on TikTok in 2022 were:

"The biggest book club on the planet."

@metmuseum
Story time with Chief Librarian Ken Soehner! Did you know The Met has eight libraries? #MuseumLibraryWeek #BookTok #LibraryTikTok

♬ original sound - The Met

With 40.3 billion views, its safe to say this TikTok community is keen on cars.

@berrygroupbmw
A sneak peak of the sounds of the brand new BMW i7. Combining electric performance and multisensory entertainment, this luxury vehicle produces an unforgettable driving experience. #bmw #bmwuk #bmwi7 #i7 #soundsof #soundsoftiktok #carasmr #asmr #bmwlove #bmwmotorsport #bmwelectric #bmwsoftiktok #msport #ev #electriccar #electricvehicle #asmrsounds #asmrvideo #asmrtiktoks #asmrsound #bmwi #newcar #newcarcheck #fyp #car #carsoftiktok #cartok

♬ original sound - Berry BMW

A new generation of farmers and ranchers gives an inside look at farm life.

Crafters take their social media seriously, as evidenced by the 3.8 billion views of this yarny community.

@kutiecrochet
New skull set out on Jan 6 😈😈 #crochet #skulls #crochetersoftiktok #skull #travel #crochettok #witchtok #witchy

♬ The Hills x The Color Violet x Creepin - darkvidez

Understanding your most valuable subculture can also help you create content that connects authentically with TikTokers, creating greater credibility, brand loyalty, and even more exposure. TikTok users want brands to take this approach: 76% say they like it when brands are a part of special interest groups on the platform.

TikTok's Audience Insights can help you find your subculture by identifying the interest categories and hashtags most relevant to your audience.

To access Audience Insights, open TikTok Ads Manager and hover over Reporting, then click Audience Insights. Note that you don't have to be a TikTok advertiser to use this tool.

2. Maximize the first moments

TikTok moves fast. This is not the platform to add an intro before you dive into the meat of your video. The hook for your video needs to inspire viewers to stop scrolling.

Grab attention and show the value of watching in the first seconds of your TikTok. Specifically, the first two seconds are critical for recall and brand awareness.

Crocs grabs your attention right off the bat with this... uh... Croc top? And things never slow down from there.

@crocs
Why do you think Crocs are certified ICONIC? 📣 Sound Off 📣 #Crocs #CrocTok #fashion #iconic

♬ original sound - Crocs

3. Optimize for search

TikTok SEO is the new buzzword, and the TL;DR is that you want to make content for keywords and hashtags that people are searching for. This allows you to get your content in front of people who are actively seeking specific content on the platform, rather than just scrolling through the FYP.

TikTok recently expanded the maximum length of captions to 2,200 characters. That extra real estate gives you plenty of room to work with keywords that will boost your TikTok SEO. Start looking for trending keywords by region and industry in the TikTok Creative Center.

Of course, your caption's not the only place to include keywords. TikTok can also pick them up from your voiceover or text overlay.

Want to learn more? We have a whole video on how to start up your TikTok SEO strategy:

4. Create high-quality videos specifically for TikTok

This should be an obvious one, right? Low-quality content is not going to find its way to the For You page.

You don't need any fancy equipment - in fact, your phone is the best tool for creating authentic video. What you do need is decent lighting, a good microphone if you're going to record audio, and some quick edits and transitions to keep the content moving.

TikTok videos can be 5 seconds to 10 minutes long, but TikTok says videos should always be longer than 10 seconds to make the best impression. That said, don't go unnecessarily long. Video completion rate is an important signal to the algorithm, so you don't want people to drop off from your video because it drags on and on.

For now, you need to shoot video vertically to succeed on TikTok. But the platform began testing a horizontal video option late last year, so stay tuned for potential developments on this front. Since it's unclear whether horizontal video will become a full feature, stick to 9:16 filming.

Design your videos to be played with the sound on. 93% of TikTokers use the platform with sound on, and 88% said sound is "essential" on the platform.

And be sure to use TikTok's built-in features like effects and text treatments. According to TikTok: "These native features help keep your content feeling native to the platform which can also help get it on more For You pages!"

The Washington Post might not seem like the most obvious brand to experiment with TikTok effects, but they're killing it by using green screen backgrounds and quick cuts to make complex news stories easily digestible.

@washingtonpost
Companies paying for data say these types of transactions - known in the industry as "zero-party data sharing" - benefit consumers who, until now, received nothing save targeted advertising in exchange for their data.

♬ original sound - We are a newspaper.

In particular, try experimenting with trending effects. TikTok identifies these within the effects menu.

5. Post at the right time for your audience

While this is important for all social media platforms, it's particularly so for TikTok. Active engagement with your content is a key signal to the algorithm.

There are a couple of ways to find out when your audience is most active on the app.

1. TikTok analytics:

From your profile page, tap the three dots icon at the top right of the screen.

Tap Creator tools, then Analytics.

For more details, we've got a whole post on how to get the maximum benefits from TikTok Analytics.

2. Hootsuite best time to post

If you have a TikTok Business account (rather than a Creator account), you can use Hootsuite's Best Time To Publish feature to get custom recommendations on the best time to post for your specific audience.

Check out our video on how to find the best time to post to TikTok for your account:

6. Engage with other TikTok users

21% of TikTokers said they feel more connected to brands that comment on other people's posts. Keeping on top of the comments on your own videos is also key: 76% of users say that brands that post or reply to comments feel like part of the TikTok community.

TikTok recommends a "react, respond, and remix strategy":

React to trending content

Respond to trending questions or prompts

Remix trending ideas with creators

Duets, Stitch, and video replies to comments are great ways to engage this strategy.

Stitch is a tool that allows you to clip and integrate moments from other TikTokers' content into your own.

Duets allow one user to record a "duet" with another user by commenting alongside the original creator's video in real time.

And video replies to comments let you create new video content based on comments or questions on your previous posts.

Fenty Beauty consistently uses video replies to create videos addressing fans' comments and requests, showing they're paying attention to their user base and making people's day in the process:

@fentybeauty Replying to @saleeeeena Daaaaas right, UK boos!! 🤎 #FENTYPARFUM is dropping EXCLUSIVELY in-store & online at Harvey Nichols TOMORROW❕#harveynichols #fentybeauty ♬ original sound - Fenty Beauty

The default settings on TikTok allow others to create Duets and Stitch videos using your content. If you want to change this for any particular video, tap the three dots icon on the video to open Privacy Settings, then adjust as needed.

You can also turn off these features for your whole account, but that would limit the opportunities for other TikTok users to engage with your content, decreasing discovery potential.

7. Use the right hashtags

To find trending hashtags, head to the TikTok Creative Center. Click on the Analytics button next to any trending hashtag to see a full breakdown of its popularity, including audience demographic details and related interests.

Be sure to keep an eye out for hashtags related to challenges. Hashtag challenges are a good way to come up with new ideas for content while sending the algorithm some good trend vibes.

And take note: 77% of TikTokers said they like when brands "leverage trends, showcase memes, or start participatory challenges on TikTok."

You can also focus on your specific audience and find the top 10 hashtags they interact with using the TikTok Audience Insights tool.

8. Use trending sounds and music

Two-thirds ( 67%) of TikTokers said they prefer brand videos featuring popular or trending songs. And, like we've already said, participating in any kind of trend is a good bet when aiming for the For You page.

So, how do you find out which songs and sounds are trending?

You can often get a sense of the latest trending sounds just by keeping an eye on your For You page.

But to get more specific, you can find trending songs by region in the TikTok Creative Center. Just like for trending hashtags, you can find analytics data like audience demographics and related interests. Note that this section of the Creative Center only includes songs, not user-generated original sounds.

9. Be real - and have fun

TikTok is not the place for buttoned-up, overly polished content.

65% of TikTokers say professional-looking videos from brands feel out of place

44% want to see "fun or entertaining" content from brands

71% say creator authenticity has motivated them to buy a product

64% prefer seeing everyday people in TikTok ads instead of celebrities

75% say brands' TikToks should feel like a view into the brands' and employees' daily lives

77% like it when brands give a look behind the scenes or reveal more about themselves

TikTok users want to see brands experiment and have fun on the platform: 79% say brands should experiment with different topics to see what suits them best on TikTok.
Grow your TikTok presence alongside your other social channels using Hootsuite. Schedule and publish posts for the best times, engage your audience, and measure performance - all from one easy-to-use dashboard. Try it free today. Get Started

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The TikTok Algorithm Explained + Tips to Go Viral

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While there's no magic recipe, coming to grips with the TikTok algorithm can help you work with it and improve your odds of success.

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On Musical.ly influencer culture revolved around popular creators who would collaborate and host events together. Now, on TikTok, influencer culture has led to more creators making content full time. Influencer is now a job title with popular creators' whole income coming from the platform.

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As soon as you open TikTok, you are usually met with an ad. A few scrolls later there's more. TikTok started running ads in 2018/2019. "TikTok’s global ad revenue is projected to reach $33.12 billion in 2025."

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Most users are from the US, Brazil and Indonesia

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Most users are from the US, Brazil and Indonesia

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Users of Musically were generally in the 13-20 age bracket and catered toward a teen/tween group with its trends and purpose.

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Almost all TikTok users (95%) say they go on the platform because it’s entertaining. In contrast, only 36% say keeping up with politics is a reason they use it.

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motivated by entertainment and passing time

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motivated by entertainment and passing time

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Finland had the single largest TikTok audience by average usage with 54 hours and 37 minutes per month.

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Finland had the single largest TikTok audience by average usage with 54 hours and 37 minutes per month.

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For some, YT shorts might not be the kind of content they desire, and TikTok offers a unique algorithm

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Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech

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Around half of adult TikTok users in the U.S. have never posted a video themselves. And a minority of users produce the vast majority of content

A new Pew Research Center study matching the survey responses and on-site behaviors of U.S. adult TikTok users finds that a minority of avid posters create the vast majority of content on the site. And most users post seldom, if at all - instead using TikTok primarily to view and consume content made by others.

These findings come at a time when one-third of U.S. adults say they use the site and a growing share get news there. Among our key findings about how the American public is using TikTok:

A small share of users are responsible for producing the majority of TikTok content. The top 25% of U.S. adults on TikTok by posting volume produce 98% of all publicly accessible videos from this group. This is in line with the Center's previous research on Twitter users, which found a similar ratio of highly active users creating the majority of content on the platform.

The typical TikTok user posts seldom, if ever. About half of all U.S. adults on the site have never posted a video themselves. And the typical user has not added any information to the "bio" field on their account.

The posting behaviors of younger adults do not stand out dramatically from other age groups. Users ages 18 to 34 are much more likely than their older counterparts to use TikTok in the first place. But around half of these younger users have ever posted on the site - similar to the share among users ages 35 to 49.

Users who have posted videos on TikTok are more active on the platform in general than non-posters. Posters typically follow more users, have more followers themselves, are more likely to have filled out their account bio and are somewhat more likely to find the content of their "For You" page extremely interesting.

TikTok users are more likely than not to find their "For You" page interesting. TikTok is defined by its algorithmically curated "For You" page, and users generally like the content the algorithm serves them. Some 40% of users say this content is either extremely or very interesting to them, far more than the 14% in total who say it is not too or not at all interesting.

The study began with a survey conducted in August 2023 of 2,745 U.S. adult TikTok users. It includes direct observation of the accounts and posting behavior of 869 respondents who volunteered to share their account handle for research purposes.

All these accounts - regardless of their privacy settings - contained basic account metadata. This includes their bio and display name fields, counts of followers and followed accounts, and the total number of "likes" the user had received on any videos they posted. For accounts set to public, we were also able to observe any public videos posted to the account to get a better understanding of adult TikTok users' posting behavior.
Related:
Who posts videos to TikTok

Around half (52%) of U.S. adults on TikTok have ever posted a video on the platform. And although there are substantial differences in which groups of Americans use TikTok in the first place, there are only modest differences in the posting behavior of users based on their demographic characteristics. Notably, there are no significant differences in the share of users who have posted on the site based on gender, political affiliation or educational attainment.

TikTok use is especially prevalent among younger adults - 56% of all U.S. adults ages 18 to 34 say they use the platform. But 52% of users in this age group have posted a video to their account. That is identical to the average among users overall, and similar to the share of users ages 35 to 49 who have ever posted.

A minority of users produce the majority of TikTok content from U.S. adults

While about half of U.S. adult TikTok users have ever posted a video at all, an even smaller share - 40% - have posted videos that are publicly visible. As a result, a relatively small share of users produce the vast majority of content that appears on the platform.

The typical TikTok user does not customize their bio

TikTok users do not tend to present a detailed profile of themselves on their accounts.

Although 70% of users have changed their account nickname from the site-provided default, an identical share have not added any information to the "bio" field on their account. The median U.S. adult user follows 154 other accounts but has just 36 accounts who follow them - and has received no likes from other users.

How posters differ from non-posters in their use of TikTok

TikTok users who post on the platform differ from non-posters in several important ways. Those who have ever posted a video are nearly five times as likely to have customized the bio field on their profile. They are also a bit more likely to have updated their account nickname from its default.

Posters also engage with a lot more other accounts on TikTok: A typical (median) poster follows nearly four times as many other accounts as someone who doesn't post, and they have more followers as well. While it's true that a small share of U.S. adults on TikTok are highly prolific, not everyone who posts videos does this a lot. The median poster has put up a total of six public videos in the life of their accounts and received a total of 149 likes in return.

What TikTok users think of their 'For You' page

Some 85% of TikTok users say the content on their "For You" page is at least somewhat interesting, including 40% who call it either extremely or very interesting. Only 14% say it is not too or not at all interesting.

Younger users are especially interested in the content they see on the platform. Some 47% of users ages 18 to 34 say they find the videos on their "For You" page either extremely or very interesting, compared with 36% of users ages 35 to 49 and 31% of those 50 or older.

There are only modest differences on this question based on other demographic factors like gender, political affiliation or educational attainment. Similar shares of posters and non-posters find the "For You" page at least very interesting.

But posters are slightly more likely to report the highest level of interest in the material that TikTok's content algorithm suggests to them. Some 17% of these users say they find the content of their "For You" page extremely interesting, compared with 11% of non-posters.

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Around half of adult TikTok users in the U.S. have never posted a video themselves. And a minority of users produce the vast majority of content.