Photo: Freepik
Where it all started…
TikTok sure is known worldwide, however it has not always been the app we know today. TikTok became the app you now know in 2017. Prior to this, the app was known as “musical.ly”. Musical.ly started in 2014.
Musical.ly’s Introduction to Social Media
Musical.ly was app invented to lip sync to songs. The app gained huge and immediate attention and was geared towards teenagers. The app quickly became one of the most trending apps in over twenty countries. I remember downloading musical.ly back in 2014 and instantly it became my most used app. The short videos you get to watch either by those you follow or by those on your “featured” page captivate you and end within 15 seconds making this app an addicting viewing method in my opinion as it caters to teens short attention spans.
The Switch to TikTok
The whole world quickly noticed one morning in 2017 when Musical.ly was no longer and the app they reached for first daily had now been re named “TikTok”. This change was taken quite well considering the amount of love everyone had previously for Musical.ly. It felt like some that this app would be the closest thing we would get to the former short lived but well loved app Vine. If you didn’t get the opportunity to experience vine I highly recommend you check out a few old vine compilations for a good laugh!
My favourites: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40uMbKjSBwU
The results
In the end, I don’t think the switch over and name change had any negative effects. The app has since only became more popular and personally I have found the content created on the app a lot more relatable and joyful to watch as you can now record your own sounds and they even added a 10 minute video feature which is a huge change from the original 15 second maximum Mucial.ly had.
What is your opinion on the whole switch? did it bother you or have you noticed any new features you like or dislike? Let me know below!
Twitter: Click the link to find out what old app TikTok reminds me of for a trip down memory lane! https.bit.ly
Facebook: Ever herd of musical.ly? that may be because your favourite app today used to be known as Musical.ly! Click the link to read more on what app used to be known as our beloved Musical.ly. https.bit.ly
Algonquin College Social Media Certificate Program 
I actually never knew there was a switch – TikTok didn’t enter my social media world until after 2017 so this is really interesting to know. I wonder if it was due to a change in ownership or simply the app was looking to expand and reach a broader audience by adding more features, such as longer videos.