TikTok, the video-sharing app that features footage up to sixty seconds long, is making significant progress in Republic of India — even after being prohibited in the country.
The said ban
came in April of this
year. TikTok was barred from public use (and pulled from app stores) for about 3weeks, during which period it was alleged
and argued that the platform “encouraged pornography” and exposed young users
to sexual predators — claims that TikTok officials vehemently denied.
TikTok eventually came back to app stores in Republic of India, although some business experts expressed concern for the program’s long-term viability in the face of future legal
struggles and their impact on public
opinion.
It seems as if these concerns were unfounded, as it was discovered this week that TikTok
boasts more than 120 million active users in Republic of India. That’s right — of
TikTok’s 500 million or so monthly active users
(against one billion total users); over 20% are in Republic
of India.
Maybe this is just the beginning. Recent trends and
projections indicate that the ByteDance-owned TikTok will only continue to grow in popularity, both in Republic of India and the world.
TikTok’s new popularity in Republic of India is considered to be difficult for competing entertainment platforms, as well as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and alternative brands, all of which have, in an attempt to drum up support and interest,
dramatically lowered their prices for Indian users.
For instance, Spotify India prices about 119
rupees — just $1.65 us — per month, which is a smaller amount than 20% of the price for
a base plan in the U.S.A.
TikTok also recently surpassed Facebook as the most
frequently downloaded application in the world.
TikTok’s marketing professionals have indicated that future step of their strategy
in Republic of India will concern raising revenue—that
is, encouraging high-profile users to post often and agree
to monetization plans.
It remains to be seen how —
or if — the previously listed
competitors will reply to TikTok’s newest popularity benchmark in Republic of India.