Since ever the Chinese company ByteDance bought musical.ly for 1 billion, it becomes a part of our lives whether we like it or not. If you’re a fan of short, funny videos, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of TikTok. But have you ever wondered why is TikTok called TikTok? There are a few possible explanations.There are many misconceptions about this extremely popular app and it’s name. We will try to correct some of them in this article.
What is Tiktok?
TikTok is a social media app that allows users to create and share short videos with others. The app was originally designed for making short music videos but has since evolved to include a wide range of content.
TikTok is very popular in China, and the Chinese word for “music” is “tik.” Therefore, the name TikTok makes sense from both a musical and linguistic perspective.
So Why is TikTok called TikTok?
There are several possible explanations. But one thing is for sure – the name TikTok is catchy, unique, and helps the app stand out from the crowd. Chinese company Bytedance bought musical.ly in 2016. They merged with a similar app and launched in China with the name of “Douyin.”
“Douyin” is still used in China with the same concept as TikTok and musical.ly. In 2018, Bytedance represented the rebranded version of musical.ly to the international market. And it skyrocketed within days. They came up with the name “TikTok” as a new social media game, and they set the bar high. Now every social media platform is trying to copy the concept of TikTok in the form of shorts and reels.
There is no official explanation to why is TikTok called TikTok. But the sources say that the TikTok meaning is that this app is designed to create content within 15 seconds, so it refers to the tik toking of the clock. And also because people use it to generate content in a limited timeframe.
Another reason might be that the Tiktok name is the rebranded version of musical.ly and “Douyin,” so the logo of TikTok is a symbol that is a music note and also stylized like a lower case “D.” the music note represents the musical.ly, and the “D” represents the Chinese version of TikTok “Douyin.”
Some Misconceptions About TikTok Name
Well, there is one misconception that China copied this name from the Kesha’s debut song. But there is no correlation between them.
Another misconception is that people think that the Bytedance changed the name of musical.ly to the TikTok. But it’s not true. Musical.ly is also a lip-syncing app, but it is still available separately.
TikTok has more coverage and option in video making. It has become the trendsetter and allows people to upload videos from their mobile. That’s why it’s ruling amongst other social media platforms and has international reach.
Finally, some people believe that the name TikTok is just a catchy, easily-remembered word that helps the app stand out from other social media platforms. Whatever the true reason behind the name, TikTok has become a household name in recent years.
Conclusion
When it comes to social media platforms, there are many options out there. However, one platform rising in popularity in recent years is TikTok. We have tried our best to explain why is TikTok called TikTok.
As mentioned above, one of the main reasons is that maybe it allows people to generate content within a limited time frame, so it represents the tik toking of the clock. Other is maybe it’s the rebranded version of similar apps. And it can be called TikTok due to the word “tik,” which means music in the Chinese language.