Technology
Facebook is working on a music app to rival TikTok: report
/https%3A%2F%2Fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fcard%2Fimage%2F870635%2F6490053e-2a15-4865-85e1-7b666bbdd0cb.jpg)
Image: Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images
2018-10-25 04:27:05 UTCFacebook wants those teens back, and music might be the answer.
The social media giant is creating a standalone video music app that is set to rival TikTok (a.k.a. Musical.ly), according to a report by TechCrunch.
Facebook, usually not averse to looking to others for inspiration, has apparently codenamed the project “Lasso.” The app is set to be full-screen and directed at teens, much like TikTok is already, according to a source who spoke to the outlet.
“A lot of what they’re doing is just trying to be cool and trying to be something that Facebook isn’t,” the source said.
A hit with younger users, TikTok allows people to record short music videos of themselves lip-synching to popular songs.
Acquired for $1 billion by Chinese tech firm ByteDance last year, TikTok hit 500 million users in June, and was the most downloaded on Apple’s App Store in the first half of this year.
Facebook has apparently been looking at teen music apps since 2016, but held off when it thought what was then called Musical.ly wouldn’t take off. But in the past year, the social media giant has been slowly upping its musical ambitions.
Earlier this year, Facebook begun testing of Lip Sync Live in certain markets, which is a singalong feature integrated into Facebook Live. The feature has been rolled out to more people and updated with lyrics integration today.
Facebook’s Lip Sync Live in action.
Facebook has also added the ability to add songs to your Facebook profile, in a real throwback to the MySpace era.
Given the immense popularity of TikTok, Facebook’s bet on music could be a smart one.
!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?
n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;
n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version=’2.0′;n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;
t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,
document,’script’,’https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js’);
fbq(‘init’, ‘1453039084979896’);
if (window.mashKit) {
mashKit.gdpr.trackerFactory(function() {
fbq(‘track’, “PageView”);
}).render();
}
Thoma Bravo to take UK cybersecurity company Darktrace private in $5B deal
Summer Movie Preview: From ‘Alien’ and ‘Furiosa’ to ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’
Zomato’s quick commerce unit Blinkit eclipses core food business in value, says Goldman Sachs
Monsta X’s I.M on making music, gaming, and being called ‘zaddy’
Petlibro’s new smart refrigerated wet food feeder is what your cat deserves
The books on your favorite creators’ TBR shelf
Xaira, an AI drug discovery startup, launches with a massive $1B, says it’s ‘ready’ to start developing drugs
Rabbit R1 hands-on review: Something is iffy about this
UK probes Amazon and Microsoft over AI partnerships with Mistral, Anthropic, and Inflection
‘Shōgun’ co-creators break down the finale: ‘It’s a story about death’
API startup Noname Security nears $500M deal to sell itself to Akamai
US think tank Heritage Foundation hit by cyberattack
NASA discovered bacteria that wouldn’t die. Now it’s boosting sunscreen.
How to watch ‘Argylle’: When and where is it streaming?
Tesla drops prices, Meta confirms Llama 3 release, and Apple allows emulators in the App Store
Tesla layoffs hit high performers, some departments slashed, sources say
TechCrunch Mobility: Cruise robotaxis return and Ford’s BlueCruise comes under scrutiny
Meta to close Threads in Turkey to comply with injunction prohibiting data-sharing with Instagram
Former top SpaceX exec Tom Ochinero sets up new VC firm, filings reveal
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau fines BloomTech for false claims
Thoma Bravo to take UK cybersecurity company Darktrace private in $5B deal
Summer Movie Preview: From ‘Alien’ and ‘Furiosa’ to ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’
Zomato’s quick commerce unit Blinkit eclipses core food business in value, says Goldman Sachs
Monsta X’s I.M on making music, gaming, and being called ‘zaddy’
Petlibro’s new smart refrigerated wet food feeder is what your cat deserves
The books on your favorite creators’ TBR shelf
Xaira, an AI drug discovery startup, launches with a massive $1B, says it’s ‘ready’ to start developing drugs
Rabbit R1 hands-on review: Something is iffy about this
UK probes Amazon and Microsoft over AI partnerships with Mistral, Anthropic, and Inflection
‘Shōgun’ co-creators break down the finale: ‘It’s a story about death’
-
Entertainment7 days agoWhat Robert Durst did: Everything to know ahead of ‘The Jinx: Part 2’
-
Entertainment6 days agoThis nova is on the verge of exploding. You could see it any day now.
-
Business6 days agoIndia’s election overshadowed by the rise of online misinformation
-
Business6 days agoThis camera trades pictures for AI poetry
-
Business7 days agoCesiumAstro claims former exec spilled trade secrets to upstart competitor AnySignal
-
Business5 days agoTikTok Shop expands its secondhand luxury fashion offering to the UK
-
Business6 days agoBoston Dynamics unveils a new robot, controversy over MKBHD, and layoffs at Tesla
-
Entertainment6 days agoEarth will look wildly different in millions of years. Take a look.
