How to develop an app like Tiktok & how much does it costs?

The social media giants like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. control social media. As Facebook is slowly buying everything and is becoming as one can say the monopoly of the social media market, entering the market and competing with them is close to impossible at this time.

Instagram has photos and videos, Whatsapp can be used for text, voice, and video calls, and Facebook is to connect with billions of people, then what new you can bring to the market?

It’s all about an amazing idea, and TikTok is one such idea.

And that’s when TikTok entered the game and became the next big thing. TikTok’s fascinating success has shocked the world and has inspired many to make an app like TikTok.

What is Tiktok App?

TikTok app is a short video creation and video sharing app that allows users to shoot and share a 3 to 15 seconds video with its unique filters and effects. You can dance, have comedy, have fun, give a message, or anything using these short videos. TikTok is purely an entertainment app. It is all about showing your talent to the world.

About TikTok App

• TikTok Developed by: ByteDance
• Global CEO: Vanessa Pappas
• Founding Year: 2016
• Headquarter: Culver City, CA
• Valuation: $60 billion

The users of TikTok suggest, that their friends and family use it for fun and entertainment. Also, you can see its content on all the platforms thanks to the sharing feature, and the content creators force their friends and family to use the platform and like their content, and that’s the reason why TikTok boasts over 800 million monthly active users–up 300 million from January 2019.

Today, it has become a common name for everyone, but there are always exceptions, and therefore, let’s have a quick view of what TikTok is. It all started with Musical.ly – A video creating, streaming, and sharing app. It allowed the users to dance to music or create funny or engaging videos using lip sync. The app had over 100 million users, up until 2018.

In 2018, a Chinese company, Bytedance, took over the app and moved all the users to an app called TikTok. The success of TikTok goes to the feature where the users can not only lip-sync and dance to songs but now they were allowed to create their content. This freedom made TikTok famous and its owner, Zhang Yiming, $16 Billion rich and the 13th richest person in China.

Key Facts about TikTok

1. Download count of 1.5 billion and has more than 800 million active users.
2. Users spend, on average, 52 minutes on the app daily.
3. More than 1 billion videos are viewed daily.
4. The primary revenue is in-app purchases, and it brings $3.5 million per month.
5. In the first half of 2019, global Tik Tok revenue reached $39 Billion.
6. It is the product of a startup called ByteDance, and the success of Tik Tok has made the startup the world’s most valuable startup, with a valuation of over $75 Billion.
7. More than 34% of users post something every day on Tik Tok.
8. It is the most downloaded app of 2020, so far.
9. At least 40 Tik Tok stars have more than 10 million followers; this shows how much the Tik Tok community is growing.
10. It ranks sixth among apps for consumer spending worldwide.

TikTok Features

So what makes TikTok so unique? Its features always define an app; here’s a look at different segments.

1. Video Uploading

It is all about creating and uploading videos. Uploading a video is the app’s baseline feature, and this is what drove the app to where it is now. The most exciting content is videos as the user can see, hear, and feel the video content living that experience, and that is what TikTok used and in the right way. It not only includes videos, but it also lets the users create the videos and be the hero/heroine. You could say that what Youtube did wrong, TikTok did that right, and now it is nailing the video content on all the social media platforms.

2. Video Editing

How many users make youtube videos of themselves vs. how many users make TikTok videos of themselves, the difference is 30% vs. 80%. You won’t upload any photo or video of yours until it is 100% perfect, and you are looking fantastic. In TikTok, the users can easily edit their videos. So there is no need to download some other app and learn how editing is done. The editing is so simple in the app that you can make your video seem as if it was shot by a professional in just a few minutes. Therefore in just half an hour, users have the final product with themselves and that too without leaving TikTok and using some other app.

3. Video Effects and filters

Straight videos look boring every time. Therefore, TikTok lets the user use amazing effects like slo-mo, reverse, zoom, and all to create a video with special effects. Apart from that, using products and filters is fun too, Snapchat users cannot agree more. The magic to changing ordinary to extraordinary lies in effects and filters. An image can become a hero from zero using different filters, so think how much a video can be changed using the right filters and effects.

4. Video AR Filters

AR is a life changer, and now you can use it on your TikTok videos too. You can add any object in your video, and you can change the background of your video, add characters, and even interact with those characters. AR filters can also be used to shoot ad videos, and thus this feature is a blessing for the TikTok influencers. They can quickly shoot interesting ad videos using AR filters. It will be very useful for brand awareness. If the company can create an exciting and fun character, the company would see millions of people making videos with their brand characters in no time.

5. Add Soundtracks

Want to show your dancing talent to the world, wish to make a grand hero-like entry using the theme song of some movie, or add some exciting background music to your video? It can be done using the soundtrack feature. The power of music is unmatched. If a person is doing a sad video, the sad music can make it 100* better. It was initially to make a video sound more convincing, but it is now used by music artists and studios to increase their tracks’ reach.

6. Likes and Social Sharing

It is the feature that makes TikTok a social media platform. An artist needs some motivation and love, and this is what this feature does. The heart can be used to like a video, and the sharing button can be used to share the video with others. This sharing feature is the reason why you see TikTok videos on all social media platforms. The like button also lets TikTok know your taste, and this will allow TikTok to show you the videos of your preference.

7. Duet videos

This feature lets the creators connect. If you wish to create a video with someone who lives far away, TikTok has a simple solution. The Duet feature can be used to share half the screen with your partner, and therefore you can crate videos with others anytime and anywhere. You can use filters and effects here too. Moreover, #Duet can create videos with random people, which allows you to connect with others.

8. Slideshow creation

Who said TikTok is all about creating videos? If you do not want to create a video, you can use your photo collections to create a mindblowing slideshow using various filters, effects, and background music. Creating such slideshows is a bit difficult using other applications, but with TikTok, it seems like a piece of cake.

9. QR Code Scanner

Every TikTok user has a unique QR code. You can add anyone using their QR code. No need to search for the person; scan the QR code to add them. You can also share someone’s QR code to recommend them to your friends. You can also share videos and interact with others. Users have to save their QR code and share it, and the job is done.

10. Live Streaming

Going live and interacting with your audience is the new trend, and TikTok has also adopted it. But live streaming is a feature that is not available to all users. A person must have 1000 followers to unlock the live streaming feature. Although the minimum age for using TikTok is 13 years old, only a 16+ can go live, and if you are above 18, live streaming is a bonus for you. Your followers can send your virtual gifts, a digital currency that you can use to get real money.

11. Geolocation

What if none of your followers is live streaming and you want to see some live streaming? The geolocation feature can find all of the nearby bloggers broadcasting live, and if you like them, you can click and have fun with the live streaming.

12. Personalized Feeds

The #For you is the personalized feed for all the users. It shows videos that you might be interested in by seeing what you like and whom you follow. tikTok’s algorithm will detect your taste and will suggest videos that you are much more likely to love. It gives users a personalized experience, and it takes care that the users are never bored. If they have nothing to watch, they can click on #For you to see tons of videos of their taste.

13. Profile creation

Last but not least, a user must sign in to use all these features. The profile creation should be a process of a few clicks, and luckily, TikTok does it so. It also lets the user sign in using other social media apps.

All these features have made TikTok a groundbreaking success.

TikTok is also a story of buying some other app. i.e Musical.ly, and the TikTok team were able to lift the app this high by adding unique features and an interactive interface. You can create an app that is more successful than TikTok by adding new features and adding a more interactive interface. The market competition is less as of now as there are very few TikTok-like apps in the market.

How TikTok application works?

As soon as you download the app, you can start using the app without signing in. You will be welcomed with popular videos that seem never-ending, no matter how much you scroll. You can sign in to follow people and see their videos.

The app is used so much that it has added a remainder after 90 minutes of continuous watching. The app will notify you that you have been watching the videos for 90 minutes to remind you of the time, as the app knows that you will be lost in the app, and you will continue watching its entertaining content for hours and hours.

Here’s the step by step process for creating a video on TikTok

1. Log in to the app
2. Click on the plus sign
3. Choose your music
4. Start making the video
5. Edit the video in the app

Boom! Your masterpiece is ready. As simple as that!

You can create videos just by using your smartphone, and the different filters and effects can make your video look like professionals shot it.

TikTok is more of a platform for people, and the reach is so beyond other media that you can also see TikTok stars here and there. In short, it is a fun and useful app that can be used to showcase your talents to earn fame and money if used correctly.

Business & Revenue Model of TikTok App

Before going into the development process, let’s find out the business model of TikTok and how you can earn money by developing an app like TikTok.

There is 3 kind of Monetization models available.

1. In-app purchase

In April 2020, TikTok generated $78 Million in revenue from in-app purchases.

TikTok is an addiction, and people can spend unlimited money on addiction. The in-app purchase of Tiktok is coins. These coins can be used as gifts for users, who, in turn, can convert these coins into real cash. The coins are available in bundles of 100 to 10,000, and the price ranges from 99 cents to $99.99. The in-app purchase has become a significant source of income for Tiktok.

2. Advertisement

Advertisement is the evergreen way for apps to generate revenue. And for an app that is used by billions, advertisements can bring the same amount of money as there are users. Users will see TikTok ads in between different user-generated content. There are three TikTok advertisement models:

— Cost per click

Cost per click charges the advertiser when someone clicks on their advertisement. Reasonable charges are charged for this model.

— Cost per view

TikTok will show the advertiser’s ad to let’s say 1000 users and will charge for that. The pricing for this model will be cheap.

— Cost per action

The advertiser has to pay only if a specific action is performed through the ad. It is the most costly but the most useful model as the advertiser has to pay only after the user performs the intended action.

3. Fund Raising

According to reports, TikTok has been funded by high-class investors, and the amount is more than 3 billion dollars.

It is a very effective way to raise money and earn revenue. If you have just started your app or your app is successfully working, fundraising can increase a tremendous amount of money for your app, and thus, you do not have to worry about money for development and everything.

Now we know everything there is to know about Tiktok. So now, let’s see how to develop an app like Tiktok.

How to develop an app like TikTok?

To develop a mobile app like TikTok, below are useful steps required to take;

1. Define the idea of your app
2. Analyze your target audience app like Dream11
3. Decide on the features of your app
4. Create a Prototype for an app like TikTok
5. Design the App like TikTok
6. Choose Backend Technology
7. Decide the Monetization Model
8. Integrate Analytics
9. Launch TikTok Application

Technologies require for TikTok like App Development,

• Kotlin for Android Development
• Swift for iOS Development
• Node.js for Back-end Development
• AWS or Azure for Cloud
• SQL or MongoDB or Cassandra for Database
• Azure Stream Analytics for Real-time analytics
• Google Cloud Messaging and Apple push notifications service for Notifications
• ARCore and ML Kit for Face Detection and Face Recognization
• Google Maps API for Geo Location
• Socket.io for Chat

Backend Team Requires for TikTok like App Development

• Project Manager
• Android Developer
• iOS Developer
• Backend Developer
• QA Engineer
• Business Analyst
• UI/UX Designer

OR

You can hire a leading app development company, and you can outsource your app development to the experts; this will save your time, energy, and money. Due to their knowledge and experience in this field, outsourcing your app development work can be a better option.

How much does it cost to develop an app like TikTok?

Develop an app like TikTok can cost around $40,000 – $45,000 with all the basic features for a single platform (Android or iOS). By including advanced features and developing for multiple platforms, the TikTok-like app development cost can raise up to $100,000 also.

The hourly price may differ for TikTok like app development according to the company that you choose.

• Small Companies Charges: $20 – $50
• Medium Companies Charges: $50 – $100
• Enterprise-level Companies Charges: $150 – $250.

How much time does it take to develop an app like TikTok?

Developing an app like TikTok will take time around 16 Weeks.

The time will also increase up to 25 weeks, according to requirements, features, and platform compatibility for TikTok like app development.

Top 9 apps like Tiktok

Here is a list of the top 9 apps like Tiktok.

• MX TakaTak Short Video App
• Instagram Reels
• Snapchat
• Youtube Shorts
• Moj: Short Video App
• Josh: Short Videos App
• Triller: Music Video Editor
• Clash: Shoot Video Send Drops
• Zili – Short Video Community

Why Capermint is the best company for developing an app like TikTok?

Capermint Technologies is a leading mobile app and game development company delivering quality-driven mobility services across the world. With an experience of more than 6 years, we are highly experienced players in our niche – app and game development, and now we are capable of developing any app or game that you want. Our apps are targeted toward solving your problems and fulfilling your needs.

When it comes to apps like TikTok, we have researched the full market of TikTok, and we have found all the features that are essential to make the best TikTok app. We have also seen some new features that will work as the perfect seasoning for your app, and therefore your app will be able to make a massive impact in the app stores.

Get Your Own App Like TikTok Snack Video

Recently the Government of India banned another short video Snack Video app after TikTok. Snack video – short video creation and sharing platform which had 100M+ downloads, was banned by the Government of India along with 43 Chinese mobile apps.

Small videos have become the prime source of entertainment and you will see these videos across all the platforms. The ban on such huge applications has opened the door for replacement, and the one that is fast enough to fulfill the demand of small video creation and sharing platforms will have the access to a readymade audience.

At Capermint, our developers are capable of developing short video development apps like TikTok and Snack Video. Contact us now to launch your own app with help of our TikTok & Snack video app development services and capitalize on your business by grabbing this solid opportunity.

Take Away

The Early bird gets the worm, and the rest starve!

Many have understood the benefits of developing an app like TikTok, and it’s just a matter of time before someone will be bigger and better than TikTok; if you take the right actions at the right time, you can be that someone. If you think that an app like TikTok can be the next big thing and want to be the owner of that next big thing, start working now. Social media is the biggest app genre, and the TikTok race has presented you with the opportunity to be on the top list of social media apps.