If you still watch U-certified films, chances are you know about Musical.ly, the app that’s taking over phones. Pop star Ariana Grande and singer-songwriter Jason Derulo are among a mere 90 million to have tried it out. So, what is Musical.ly and who are its stars? t2 tunes you in.
What is Musical.ly?
A social network for amateur music-video creators; in the same vein as Dubsmash. Here ‘musers’ — or users of Musical.ly — mime along to pop hits with crazy effects to record 15-second music videos that are then shared on the social space.
There is a second app called live.ly (currently available on iOS) which adds a live aspect to the game. “This could even be like the next MTV. I think this can be a really important platform for an entire generation that can be entertained,” Greylock investor Josh Elman has told Business Insider US.
How big is it?
HUGE. To put figures to the fact — Musical.ly caters to around 90 million musers globally, mostly in the 13-20 age bracket. It has about 10 million daily users who share 11 million videos per day. Get?
Where did it spring from?
Developed by Alex Zhu and Luyu Yang in October 2014, the app shot to fame in the last eight months. It is, in fact, one of the few apps to have come out of China and become a hit in the US. According to online publisher of technology news TechCrunch, the Shanghai-based company is in the process of raising about $100 million in funding, at around a $500 million post-money valuation.
Warner Music Group has — according to Billboard — signed a deal with Musical.ly to allow its music to be licensed for the platform.
Why is it so popular?
There is a sense of community. This is a social network where you not only share lip-synced videos — like Dubsmash — but also follow stars. You end up meeting people from all over the world, with similar tastes in music. And, of course, there are a slew of cool features like filters (pop, rock, country, blues and so on) and video speeds — epic, slow, normal, fast and time lapse modes. Plus, there is a range of editing options, like cool reverse mode and time trap to repeat a cool moment.
It also allows duets. To make one, select someone you follow on Musical.ly and who follows you back. Next press the “…” icon on the screen and then press “start duet now”. That’s it.
How is it different from Dubsmash?
Dubsmash is about choosing a song or a film dialogue and lip-syncing to it. There is no feeling of community; there are no Dubsmash “stars”. And we are not even getting into the features aspect.
Does it have to be music videos?
No, let your imagination work overtime. Though most of the content features lip-syncing, some of it goes beyond, like a short skit.
How can you get heard?
Use trending hashtags, a popular one being #featureme. Also popular... #challenge. The more musicals you create, the greater the chances of you getting featured on the app’s homepage.
Where to Musical.ly?
It’s available for free from iOS App Store and Google Play Store.
Popular Bolly songs on Musical.ly
Mera mann kehne laga (Nautanki Saala!)
Iss qadar pyar hai (Bhaag Johnny)
Kar gayi chull (Kapoor & Sons)
Love dose (Yo Yo Honey Singh)
Baby ko bass pasand hai (Sultan)
Sun saathiya (ABCD 2)
Brown rang (Yo Yo Honey Singh)
Popular English songs on Musical.ly
Can’t Stop The Feeling! (Justin Timberlake)
Don’t Let Me Down (The Chainsmokers)
This Is What You Came For (Calvin Harris)
Cheap Thrills (Sia)
Work From Home (Fifth Harmony)
Ride (Twenty One Pilots)
You Don’t Own Me (Grace)
Have you used Musical.ly? Tell t2@abp.in
