Tiktok is arguably one of the most popular social media platforms in history. It has opened so many different opportunities for people across the globe and has given everyone an amazing app. Even though it’s been about ten years since the making of Tiktok, we should all learn where and why it came to be this popular.

Began with Musical.ly (2014):

Back in 2014, an app called Musical.ly was beginning to emerge. This app was launched in Shanghai, China by Alex Zhu and Luyu Yang. The app was based on users lip-syncing shot videos to many different types of audios. Musical.ly gained lots of popularity, especially with the younger generation. 

Exposure of Tiktok (2016):

Once people saw the insane popularity of Musical.ly, a company called ByteDance acquired the app and merged it with their own lip-synicing app Douyin in 2016. The company bought the app for nearly $1 billion. This started the rise of Tiktok.

Tikok’s Global Expansion (2017-2019):

When Musical.ly officially merged with Tiktok, the app began to gain popularity globally, not just in China. People from the United States, India, and Europe began using the app more often. The interesting format of the app made it so well-known because users could make their own videos, watch other people, and find whatever they wanted just on their For You Page.

Explosive Growth to Now (2020-Present):

During Covid-19, people had no choice but to watch TV all day and lie around in their homes. This accelerated Tiktok with over 2 billion downloads. After the pandemic, Tiktok became one of the most popular apps in the world, maintaining millions of users daily. Not only did the app grow, it became more than lip-syncing videos. People could create what they wanted and started more diverse content like dancing, cooking, learning, and more. People also began to make a living off of Tiktok and starting their own businesses. Tiktok will forever be in the history of social media and always be remembered.