Meet Triller, celebrities' new found social media favourite as TikTok battles for survival

Triller recently became the top app on Apple's App Store in 50 countries. The TikTok-rival already has a host of celebrities on the platform.

Triller short video app. (Triller)

The TikTok ban in India led to a flurry of homegrown alternatives trying to become the next viral platform. TikTok is facing another potential ban in the US if an acquisition isn't final by September 15. TikTok may or may not be banned in the US but there's already a rival app that's gaining a lot of traction.

Meet Triller, a short video app like TikTok but more music-focused. On opening the app, the first tab you'll see are videos with music tracks in the background. These are what Triller calls music videos. The other tab is for social videos where you can add filters. There's also a dedicated music button for users to browse through different tracks on the app.

Triller has signed deals with major recording companies like Universal Music Group, Sony Music, Island Records, Capitol Records and more. The app is also backed by a host of artists such as Snoop Dogg, The Weeknd, Lil Wayne, Kendrick Lamar, Tyga and more. Triller is largely owned by Hollywood producer Ryan Kavanaugh and LA-based Proxima media.

Triller is filled with popular artists on the platform. It has celebrities like Eminem, Alicia Keys, Cardi B, and Marshmello actively making videos on Triller. With TikTok it was more of the other way around where the platform got its boost from users, and the celebrity bandwagon only joined later. TikTok is also known for giving birth to many popular creators from its platform.

Triller, unlike other TikTok-rivals, isn't a new app. In fact, it launched in 2015, two years before TikTok made its debut. The user interface and features of both the apps are very similar though. You have the very intuitive swiping up gesture for new videos, and a different following section as well. It currently has over 250 million downloads globally, and 50 million monthly active users. In just last week, the app downloads increased by 20x.

The app still has a long way to go if it wants to catch up to TikTok. But it recently became the number 1 app in Apple's App Store in 50 countries. The increase in downloads can be attributed to the ongoing situation with TikTok which could be banned in the US. TikTok is however still the most downloaded app globally despite losing a major market like India, according to Sensor Tower's latest data.

TikTok has created a sort of untouchable base for itself when it comes to social apps. So far, no social app has grown as fast as TikTok globally. It has single-handedly managed to stay on top above Facebook's family of apps. TikTok has another rival in the making that's Facebook's Instagram Reels which just launched in 50 countries. It's interesting to see if any of these apps manage to dethrone TikTok.