How to Build an App Like TikTok for Founders

Build an app like Tik Tok is a dream coming true for many entrepreneurs. Do you share the same dream? We can assure you that you are in a right place and this article is going to give life to your dream. Let us start with knowledge sharing about the online video streaming industry and then more about Tik Tok.

The explosion of first-generation video streaming services started in the mid-2000, mainly because of the improvements in data speed and also reduced cost of broadband connections. Today video-sharing has become the future of social apps.

Videos are more customer engagement and can easily grab the attention of the audience. The impact of video-sharing features in digital marketing cannot be underestimated. To be more specific 72% of customers prefer to watch videos about the product they search for.

Every business started promoting its brands through exclusive brand videos. They started seeking more about the features of video streaming and video-sharing. For this, they search for the best video-sharing apps in the market so that they can gain enough knowledge about their functionalities.

Although there are thousands of video-sharing apps, very few have gained an unbelievable response from the audience. One such successful online video-sharing app is Tik Tok.

Tik Tok has influenced many budding entrepreneurs and there is a wide search for creating an app like Tik Tok. Here we will understand more about the platform and how popular the app is. We will analyze its crucial features and will learn to build an app like Tik Tok.

What is Tik Tok and how does it work?

Tik Tok is a universal video-sharing app that will let users post short videos that can run for 15 seconds. To the original video, users can add a background and other musical accessories of their choice.

Users are allowed to create videos on their own and they can share them online. Users can edit those videos by adding effects, filters, and many more. The Tik Tok algorithm will analyze multiple factors like user interaction, video information, and device type used for video upload and download. Based on these metrics, Tik Tok offers more personalization to users.

Popularity of Tik Tok

If you need more inspiration to build an app like Tik Tok then you need to get to know about its popularity in the market today. Here are the most important statistics about Tik Tok and its significance among its audience.

• Tik Tok is active in around 150 countries and owns more than 1 billion active users.
• As per Sensor Tower report, Tik Tok has been downloaded 2.6 billion times all over the world in 2020 alone.
• An average of 95 minutes per day is spent by Tik Tok users and they open the app minimum of 8 times per day.
• Gen z is the major user group of Tik Tok as they are 60% reported by Google’s internal data.
  In 2020, Tik Tok has earned around $500 million in the US.
• Tik Tok is the most positively rated app in the US as there are 88% of positive reviews given by users.

Features of Tik Tok

Tik Tok is a user-friendly video streaming app that holds all the outstanding features that make the platform unique in the market. Just like any other social media app, Tik Tok also has like, share, and subscribe.

These alone did not make the app so popular, there are many more administrative and customer-centric features and if you wish to develop an app like Tik Tok then you need to be familiar with these features.

Video upload

The basic and crucial for an app like Tik Tok is the video upload function. Users would love to share their videos with all other users across the globe. This feature needs to be flawless and this will attract users’ attention as it will make them go viral in seconds. Tik Tok has perfectly utilized this feature in its platform and has offered the best user experience to its subscribers.

Duet videos

Another interesting and unique Tik Tok feature that will let users combine and share screens. A user can lip-sync or even dance with any other user of the app by sharing their screen side-by-side. This offers higher reach and will increase the potential of the revenue too.

Slideshow maker

Though Tik Tok is a video-sharing app, it doesn’t restrict users to upload or download videos alone. If users don’t have videos and have a handful of pictures, they can make a series of those pictures and can have a perfect Tik Tok slideshow that will take just a few minutes to make.

Superior video editor

A must-have feature for any app like Tik Tok. This will allow users to edit their videos through multiple editing tools. The platform offers an incredible number of effects that can enhance the video and get more user engagement.

Reasons to build an app like Tik Tok

Before we plan to build an app like Tik Tok, we need to justify our decision by knowing the genuine reasons behind our plan.

Ban on Tik Tok

The most competitive and popular Tik Tok is no more in the market. The platform has been banned by India, the USA, Japan, and many more countries. If you build an app like Tik Tok and launch them now, definitely you can easily get hold of the existing Tik Tok users who are desperately in need of a video streaming app like Tik Tok. All you need is to build an app that resembles the banned platform.

Huge market size

Before the ban, the popularity of Tik Tok skyrocketed. India has the largest subscribers and the application has been downloaded more than 600 million times. This shows that the global video streaming market is facing tremendous growth and is estimated to grow 20.4% more in 2025. This is a clear indication for any aspiring entrepreneur to build an app like Tik Tok and enter the video streaming market at right time.

The tremendous growth of mobile commerce and social media

Today every online video streaming app is linked with multiple social media networks to facilitate users to share their videos on their social media accounts. M-commerce is also facing equivalent growth that can easily promote your brand to your target audience. You can make use of this technology-driven era and can develop an app like Tik Tok which can increase your customer base.

Pre-requisites for creating an app like Tik Tok

Now, you are in the right mind of building an app like Tik Tok. All statistical facts and reasons have justified the need for a Tik Tok clone. The next part is the most crucial part that should be considered before building a Tik Tok-like app.

Analyze the market

After the ban of Tik Tok, many social sharing apps have emerged on the market and most of them failed to survive. The main reason for their failure is, they haven’t done enough market research. Knowing market dynamics, competitors marketing strategies, and the latest trends are the key to success.

To gain better insights about the market and your target audience, you need to check the demographics profile like the audience’s age, location, and the device type they use. You need to study the behavioral trends too.

Finalize the monetization model

The main objective of creating an app like Tik Tok is for better earnings. After determining your potential audience, you need to find out the monetization possibilities that will make your Tik Tok clone survive well.

• In-app purchase – letting users purchase their favorite broadcast from their favorite influencer. Your app can earn through this source by getting a commission for each order the influencer earns.
• Advertising – there are many types of app advertising like cost per click, cost per mile, and cost per action, that can generate better revenue.
• Fundraising – this is a preliminary effort that you can make to gain better investments through a fundraising process. This is one of the premium earning strategies and you can utilize it for your benefit.

More attention on UI and UX

Dreaming about developing an app like Tik Tok can remain a dream alone if you fail to focus on the UI and UX. To attract visitors to your app, the design matters. Tik Tok has a straightforward UI and UX that let users access the platform without any distractions.

Easy navigation and a simplified sign-in process are the customer-centric strategies that grabbed the attention of subscribers and helped the platform retain them. This will be the golden rule for creating an app like Tik Tok.

Start with MVP

Get the first completely functional version of your app which is a Minimum Variable Product (MVP). This is a perfect testing process for your app development dream. With an MVP you can gather customer feedback and can analyze how well your app suits the market demands.
This is a recommended solution for any entrepreneur who is completely new to the industry. You can build an app like Tik Tok with a lesser time and with a minimum budget. The risk factor is comparatively low while using an MVP.

Launch and promote the app

Now everything is set for a proper launch. You need to purchase a reliable hosting server to launch your Tik Tok clone live. If it is a cloud server, it will be a better choice to let users have great access to the platform.

Once you launch your app, you need to make your brand visible to your audience and for that, you need to carry out some efficient promotional activity. You can spend on paid ads, can collaborate with bloggers or any social media influencer. Social media is a perfect platform for promotion. So, you can spend more on social media marketing.

Is it expensive to develop an app like Tik Tok?

This is the million-dollar question that comes to mind for any entrepreneur as soon as he decides to build an app like Tik Tok. Giving a fixed price is not possible as several factors influence the cost to build the app.

The platform you choose to build will have a major influence on cost. You can either go for Android or iOS but to build an app like Tik Tok it is recommended to go for both.

Features have a crucial role in fixing the price. Some users initially prefer to have all basic features alone and some may go for advanced one.

If you plan to build from scratch then you need to hire a professional developing team and which is quite costly. If you prefer a budget-friendly solution then you can go with a customized ready-made Tik Tok clone.

In addition to these, you need to purchase a hosting server. There are several types of servers like shared hosting, dedicated hosting, and many more. Each server type differs in pricing and it is up to you to choose.

Are you looking for a versatile partner to build an app like Tik Tok?

You may be tired of searching for a solution for all your business needs. Stay calm, We, appkodes, can help you in building an app like tik tok.

Appkodes is a professional provider that can offer customized, tailor-made digital business solutions. Our motive is to support startups, SMBs, and enterprises to achieve their business dreams and goals. Our tech-driven applications can boost your overall business productivity. There are many specialties we proudly hold that will let you have a steadfast decision in choosing appkodes.

• You will be supported by a dedicated team of technical experts; you have excellent knowledge of the latest technologies and trends.
• We deliver a budget-friendly product that will inherit all needy features.
• If you look for evidence of our work, we have already designed a Tik Tok clone and you can get to know how perfectly the application is developed.
• We do offer a demo version that will let you have your hands-on with all features and will help you to decide easily.

Finally building an app like Tik Tok is tricky and needs more industry knowledge. Join hands with appkodes and get perfect assistance in building an enterprise-grade app like Tik Tok.