| Calendata lightly dissed TikTok in a recent post (questioning whether it is surface tech or deep tech and worth its huge valuation) but, having had a closer look at it this past week, we are impressed with its freshness and content. The (kawaii-ish) video on the left is a mashup up of a student dancing to Despacito, two girls doing 'Learn to Meow', a popular meme in North Asia, and the delightful Wani Kayrie and friend (TikTok videos are typically 10-15 seconds in duration). To attempt to understand why TikTok is getting attention, below is our rough comparison between TikTok and YouTube. [We are a fan of YouTube and embed many of its videos in this site.] |
Comparison between TikTok and YouTube 22-Nov-2018
| TikTok | YouTube | |
| Usage | Self Expression | Education, Information, Marketing, Entertainment, Mass Messaging |
| App | Minimalist design which fully utilizes the screen (bezel-less) | Clunky, crowded with suggestions of other videos |
| Special Effects | Meme music (for lip or dance syncing), bunny ears, edgy shaky logo | Overlay boxes that cover the video amd which can or cannot be dismissed |
| Content | Spontaneous | Scripted, targeted at upping views, likes and subscribers (amateur producers seem to be getting fewer) |
| Vibe | Exuberant | Business-like |
| Started | 2016 | 2006 |
| Valuation | $75 billion | $160 billion |