Snapchat making a new app to rival TikTok? Everything to know

Snapchat has unveiled a new in-app feature called Spotlight – and the newly short-form video section looks quite a bit like TikTok. The new feature aims to encourage Snapchat users to curate viral video moments. Users can also explore content from influencers and other Snapchatters on their feed – a feature unavailable until now.

Snapchat back in the Spotlight

Snapchat caters to a wide range of followers across the globe. To keep such a large user base entertained, the app developers have to keep throwing new features into the mix. Snapchat’s in-app feature Spotlight is the latest addition meant to entice its user base. 

Snapchat will release the new TikTok-esque feature in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and France, for now and slowly roll out the feature in other countries as well. 

Users can find Spotlight in its own separate tab on Snapchat where users can share video snaps lasting up to sixty seconds. Snapchat will split $1 million among the most viral creators on the platform on a daily basis. The million-dollar sum will be divided based on unique views a snap has collected compared to others that day. 

Spotlight is meant to highlight entertaining videos from all users, regardless of their follower numbers. In the announcement post, the company stated, “Spotlight shines a light on the most entertaining Snaps created by the Snapchat community, no matter who created them. We built Spotlight to be a place where anyone’s content can take center stage – without needing a public account, or an influencer following.”

Snapchat also urged users to strictly follow their terms which require the uploader to adhere to Snapchat’s community guidelines and be at least sixteen years of age before they are allowed compensation for viral content. The newly launched app will continue to evolve based on user feedback.

Rise & fall of TikTok

TikTok is one of the most famous apps in the social media realm today. The video-sharing app provides moments of levity in an otherwise depressing reality of 2020. Stay-at-home orders only spurred the app’s popularity – so much so that TikTok became the most downloaded non-gaming app. 

Amidst privacy violation allegations, talks of banning the Chinese-owned social media app surfaced. The Trump administration urged ByteDance (the company that owns TikTok) to sell its U.S. operation to an American company for National security reasons. 

Since then, TikTok developers have stepped up to finalize deals with Oracle & Walmart in the hopes of meeting U.S. national security concerns. The future of the app, however, is still in a state of uncertainty. 

Snapchat copying TikTok?

TikTok has created a huge market with its viral dance challenges and funny lip-syncing videos. Considering the popularity of the app, it’s no surprise other companies are jumping on the bandwagon. 

Snapchat was once the king of social media with its innovative “Stories”, filters, and face recognition features. But now, TikTok holds the reins and Snapchat is doing everything it can to stay ahead of its competitors – as is evident by the release of Spotlight. 

Not only is Snapchat introducing Spotlight, but also acquiring music tracks through popular app Voisey. Voisey, famously dubbed “TikTok for music creation”, allows creators to overlay their own voice to create short music tracks. Voisey allows users to apply audio filters to manipulate their voices and browse other peoples’ creations. This app is another tool in Snapchat’s arsenal to ride the TikTok wave.

Even the popular photo-sharing app, Instagram, is doubling down on its effort to outrival TikTok. In August of this year, Instagram launched its Reels video feature. Reels is a new way to record fifteen- to thirty-second clips on Instagram.

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Earlier it was Snapchat’s “Stories” feature that every social media app was snatching, now the sought-after app innovation is TikTok’s video format. What do you think about this latest addition to Snapchat? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!