The popular social media platform TikTok has taken the world by storm, with millions of users around the globe creating and sharing short, entertaining videos. But before TikTok, another company laid the groundwork for this content creation and sharing type: Musical.ly.

Musical.ly was a social media platform that allowed users to create and share short videos of themselves lip-syncing to popular songs. The app was launched in 2014 by Chinese entrepreneurs Alex Zhu and Luyu Yang, and it quickly became popular among teenagers and young adults.

In 2016, Musical.ly was acquired by Chinese tech company ByteDance, and in 2018, it was merged with ByteDance's short video app, TikTok. The merged app retained the name TikTok and quickly became a sensation, with users worldwide creating and sharing short, engaging videos.

But what was Musical.ly, and how did it become so popular? And how did ByteDance see the potential in this app and decide to acquire it? In this article, we will explore the history of Musical.ly, its rise to popularity, and its eventual merger with TikTok.

Musical.ly: The Early Days

Musical.ly was launched in Shanghai, China, in 2014 by Alex Zhu and Luyu Yang. The app allowed users to create short videos of themselves lip-syncing to popular songs and sharing them with friends and followers. The app quickly gained a following among teenagers and young adults, who enjoyed the app's ease of use and fun, lighthearted content.

The founders of Musical.ly were no strangers to the world of tech startups. Alex Zhu had previously founded Cicada, which created a social network for amateur musicians. Luyu Yang had worked at Chinese tech giant Tencent before teaming up with Zhu to launch Musical.ly.

The founders of Musical.ly were able to tap into a growing trend of short-form video content, which was becoming increasingly popular among younger audiences. Apps like Vine and Instagram's video feature were already gaining traction, but Musical.ly offered something different: the ability to easily lip-sync to popular songs and add fun filters and effects to videos.

The Rise of Musical.ly

Musical.ly quickly gained popularity, particularly among teenage girls. The app's user base increased, and by 2016, the app had over 90 million registered users. The app's success was mainly due to its ability to tap into the cultural zeitgeist and provide a fun, engaging platform for young people to express themselves.

Musical.ly's success also caught the attention of investors. The app raised $100 million in funding in 2016, and its founders were named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 list.

But Musical.ly wasn't without its controversies. Some parents expressed concern over the app's ability to attract predators and expose young users to inappropriate content. The app also faced criticism over the way it allowed users to interact with each other, with some arguing that the app encouraged bullying and harassment.

Despite these concerns, Musical.ly continued to grow in popularity. The app's success even caught the attention of Chinese tech company ByteDance, which was looking to expand its reach into short-form video content.

The Acquisition of Musical.ly

In 2017, ByteDance acquired Musical.ly for $1 billion. The acquisition was part of ByteDance's strategy to expand its presence in the global tech market and tap into the growing trend of short-form video content.

At the time of the acquisition, Musical.ly had over 200 million registered users, with most of its user base in the United States. ByteDance saw the potential for Musical.ly to become a global sensation.