TikTok has taken over the world in just a few short years. What does its success mean for the future of technology? Journalist and author Chris Stokel-Walker tells the inside story of the Chinese app, with unprecedented access to key company figures.
'It is rare for a business analysis to read like a thriller - this one does.' - Azeem Azhar, Exponential View
'Vital to understanding how [TikTok] works and the impact it's having.' - Damian Collins, UK politician
'TikTok Boom is a must-read for students, scholars, and policymakers.' - David Craig, Professor, USC Annenberg
In just a few years, TikTok has stormed ahead of its rivals to become the world's biggest app. Where did it come from and how did it overtake its rivals?
Journalist Chris Stokel-Walker delves deep into the origins of China's viral video app. He yields new insights into its culture, addictive algorithm and influencer ecosystem.
And he reveals the influence of its owners ByteDance on hundreds of millions of users worldwide through the policing of little-known guidelines, including those on physical appearances.
TikTok is the emerging battleground for a geopolitical tussle between East and West for control of social media. It has already been banned in India.
TikTok Boom is a rollercoaster business story bristling with ambition and drama.
Find out where TikTok came from, where it's going, and what it can do for you.
Reviews
'A careful, detailed teardown of the people, culture and technology behind the world's most dynamic social network. It is rare for a business analysis to read like a thriller - this one does.' - Azeem Azhar
'Stokel-Walker. . . knows the product, the people, and the entire ecosystem inside and out, and it is this familiarity that makes his telling so compelling because he knows how to make you feel like you, too, are an insider in this strange new world.' - Rui Ma, Tech Buzz China
'Blending journalistic narrative with state-of-the-art academic research, no other author comes close to weaving this epic tale of the rise of China's first global platform threatening Silicon's Valley hegemony. . . A must-read for students, scholars, and policymakers.' - David Craig, USC Annenberg
Extract
Ask most people what ByteDance is and they'll likely meet you with a blank stare. Yet it is the owner of TikTok and a host of other world-leading apps. Founded in March 2012, it's worth about $180 billion. Despite the fact its apps are used by two billion people worldwide, earning it $34 billion in revenue in 2020, ByteDance deliberately keeps a low profile among the general public in the West. It wants its products to take centre stage.
It's a strategy devised by its low-key founder, Yiming Zhang. Whereas his fellow Chinese rival, Musical. ly's Alex Zhu, is creative and flighty, Zhang is measured and focused. Compared to his more brash counterparts in China, such as Jack Ma, the former boss of Alibaba Group, who's known for his exuberance and outgoing personality, he is even a little dull. Considered. He practises 'delayed gratification.' He's rational - though his choice of clothing, T-shirts and jeans, makes him more laid back than the average Chinese executive. Imagine the slightly underwhelming disappointment of Mark Zuckerberg, rather than the zany pinball personality of Elon Musk.
Born in 1983 in Longyan in the coastal province of Fujian with the highest proportion of emigrants to the Western world in all of China, Zhang is fiercely independent. While many people entering China's tech sector are comfortable landing a job at one of the pre-existing Chinese tech giants, Zhang ignored that route. He was not after the quick buzz of instant success: he played the long game.
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Inhaltsverzeichnis
Introduction. Explanation of TikTok's power to create social media stars and the rise of Chinese tech challenging the dominance of Silicon Valley. Mentions Yazmin How, Andy Warhol, super-viral videos, Curtis Roach, artificial intelligence,GAFA, Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Donald Trump
1. Haywire Servers. The success of TikTok forerunner Musical.ly, lip-synching app, founded by Alex Zhu. Mentions TikTok active users, YouTube growth, Periscope livestreaming, Vine app, Yiming Zhang, Instagram, Facebook
2. The Convention Centre, 2019. TikTok's stellar growth becomes apparent at VidCon in 2019. Mentions VidCon London,Hank Green,John Green author,YouTubers, Zoe Glatt, TikTok, TikTokkers, TikTokers, Lil Nas X Old Town Road, Will Smith, Vicky Banham, Hannah Snow, Laura Edwards
3. The First Global Chinese Platform. TikTok becomes China's first social media Goliath, ending decades when Chinese firms primarily made products for Western consumers. Silicon Valley, Facebook, Twitter, Chinese tech, Made in China, Created in China, Cambridge Analytica scandal, Chinese apps
4. China Versus the World. The Chinese Communist Party and control of TikTok. Mentions China National Propaganda and Ideology Work Conference, Xi Jinping, China Communist Party, Wang Yongzhang, Great Firewall of China, Weibo, LinkedIn
5. Creator Focus: Luca Gallone. Feature on a TikTok creator who performs magic tricks, having been on TV show Britain's Got Talent. Mentions @lucagallone, private magic show, TikTok magician, LGBTQ TikTok, cooking TikTok, witchtok, magic TikTok, TikTok versus YouTube
6. The Super App Store. Introducing ByteDance, the Chinese tech company behind TikTok. Mentions TikTok founding, ByteDance, Chinese tech company, Yiming Zhang, Alex Zhu, SoftBank, Alibaba Group, Jack Ma, Nankai, Steve Jobs, Jack Welch, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Toutiao, Fanfou, 99Fang, Neihan Duanzi
7. The Importance of Memes. How viral images and messages have helped spread social media apps, particularly TikTok. Mentions video sharing platform, Vine video app, Shawn Mendes, Jake Paul, Lele Pons, YouTubers, decline traditional media, Gregor Reynolds, Put Your Finger on the Screen, Disney
8. We Want Our Money. Vine short-form video app loses the support of its creators after failing to pay them enough money - a lesson TikTok learns. Vine’s head of creator development, TikTok, Karyn Spencer, Twitter acquisition Vine, King Bach, Andrew Bachelor, Yiming Zhang, ByteDance apps
9. Acquiring Fame. ByteDance buys innovators such as Jukedeck as it builds its tech platforms. Mentions John Bolton, AI companies, computer-generated music composer, Flipagram, Yiming Zhang, Apple acqui-hire, Google, Facebook, Toutiao
10. Alex Zhu. Zhu's development of the app that blasted TikTok to success: Musical.ly. Yiming Zhang, Toutiao, Lip Sync Battle, Instagram Facebook Messenger, participatory design, WeChat
11. An Easy Birth. ByteDance capitalises on the success of Toutiao and launches a short-form video app, Douyin. Kelly Zhang, Alex Zhu, Musical.ly, Kuaishou, algorithmic power, Sun Tzu Art of War, ByteDance, AI Lab
12. Launch of TikTok. ByteDance launches Douyin's cousin in Western markets. Thailand, TikTok Taiwan, TikTok Indonesia, Vietnam, Google Play Store, Android phone app, Zoe Glatt, livestreaming, zheng nengliang, meibai
13. Paying for Popularity. ByteDance realises how to launch TikTok into new markets by advertising and signing up Instagram influencers. TikTok India, digital advertising, television advertising, Yiming Zhang, clicks per mille, Instagram stars, Geetha Sridhar, Hydroman, TikTok logo watermark
14. Takeover of Musical.Ly. ByteDance buys Musical.ly to expand TikTok in western markets. Mentions Alex Zhu, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, Vietnam, TikTok’s vibrating musical note, Douyin, ByteDance global video domination
15. Creator Focus: Anna. Feature on TikTok creator Anna Bogomolova. Mentions TikToker, TikTokker, @Anna, Thomas ‘Tomska’ Ridgewell, YouTuber, Muffin Time video, PewDiePie, YouTube, Instagram, Japan kawaii culture, VidCon London 2019, lip-syncing videos
16. The Secrets of Success. An in-depth analysis of how TikTok users interface with the app. Mentions Eternal Sword, Krystle Byrne, Sarvenaz Myslicki, TikTok algorithm, Charli D’Amelio, Mariah Amato, becoming TikTok star
17. How We Use TikTok. Capturing the full picture on an individual's use of TikTok, showing the addictiveness of its algorithm. Mentions Canada, Eternal Sword M, Krystle Byrne, Zahraa Berro, Charli D'Amelio, Muslim TikTok, Hollie Geraghty
18. Controlling the Ecosystem. How TikTok's owners ByteDance, reward creators on the platform, while retaining control of the app, through such programmes as the TikTok Creator Marketplace. Mentions TikTok business history, multi-channel networks, MCN stars, influencers, ByteDance, YouTube ecosystem
19. Managing the Talent. Exploring the companies and managers who guide the careers of TikTokers. Mentions Noah Beck, TalentX Entertainment, Josh Richards, Instagram, Sway LA, Bryce Hall, TikToker bad boy, TikTok stars, TikTok influencer agency, TikTok management company, TikTok followings
20. Supporting the Community. How TikTok learnt the mistakes of the Vine app and rewards its popular creators so that they remain on the platform, through programmes such as the TikTok Creator Fund. Mentions TikTok money, TikTok creator riches, Curtis Newbill, Douyin, Alex Zhu, D’Amelio sisters
21. Extra Money for Stars. How TikTok hires key staff and recruits influencers and creators from other social media platforms, to ensure its exponential growth continues. Mentions Pentos, TikTok analytics tool, Fabian Ouwehand, A.me, TikTok influencers, #TikTokPartner
22. Creator Focus: Cumbermatch. How lookalike celebrities such as Peter Clarke, who resembles the actor Benedict Cumberbatch, can build millions of followers on Twitter. Other examples are creators who look like Rihanna and Robert Downey. Mentions Jr. Paige Niemann, celebrity lookalikes, Ariana Grande
23. Yiming Zhang’s Creation. Inside the headquarters in Beijing of ByteDance, the company behind TikTok, exploring its work ethic and motivation. Chinese capital, Chinese tech, TikTok founder ByteDance, Yiming Zhang, ByteDance salary, Google, Facebook, Silicon Valley rival, ByteStyle principles, Huawei
24. Growing Pains. Further exploration of TikTok's owner ByteDance, including its official HQ in the Cayman Islands and its strategy for expanding its apps into Western countries. Yiming Zhang, ByteDance, Chinese staff ByteDance, ByteDance Ltd, Cayman Islands company, TikTok tax structure, ByteDance HK
25. Flexing Celebrity with Arnie. How TikTok expands its reach through the inclusion on the platform of celebrities such as Hollywood actor, Californian politician and former bodybuilding champion Arnold Schwarzenegger. Mentions TikTok Los Angeles, Raining Men, Cardi B, Douyin, recruiting celebrities
26. Censorship: An East-West Divide. How ByteDance moderates content on TikTok, including the differences in censorship between Chinese and Western versions of the app and discussing the treatment of sensitive issues such as Tibet, Taiwan, Uyghur Muslims, 2014 Ukrainian Revolution and Osama Bin Ladin
27. Creator Focus: Sparks and Tarts. The sudden emergence of a TikTok star, in this instance an unlikely one in the form of a labourer in London, Danny Harris, the inspiration behind the dancing builders @sparksandtarts. Mentions normal people stars TikTok, TikTok dance troupes, Covent Garden performers
28. Changing What Music Means. TikTok's impact on popular music, revitalising the genre after the collapse in sales of CDs and vinyl and breaking new acts. Interviews with senior TikTok executives. Mentions TikTok pop music, Spotify, YouTube, TikTok influence popular culture, Paul Hourican, Musical.ly
29. Doja Cat’s Story. A feature on the success of musician Doja Cat, following a breakout video on TikTok, and Lil Nas X's Old Town Road. Mentions Zandile Dlamini, Doja Cat, Doja Cat Say So, Charli D’Amelio, TikTok’s biggest star, Nicki Minaj, Jacob Pace, Musical.ly, JP Saxe, Old Town Road, TikTok viral
30. TikTok Mash-Up. How TikTok is changing the very nature of art forms, such as video and popular music. Mentions Jacob Feldman, Vine, Plot Twist, Soulja Boy’s 2007 cult classic song Crank That, Musical.ly, Berkeley School of Music Boston, Lil Nas X Old Town Road
31. One Hit Wonders. Musicians whose old hits have been revived by TikTok, whose video makers resurface forgotten tracks, cartoons and TV shows. Mentions Arista, Matthew Wilder, Break My Stride, Mariah Carey, Rolf Zuckowski, Sony, In der Weihnachtsbäckerei
32. The Convention Centre, 2020. How TikTok's profile has changed in a short time, taking centre stage in the short-form video world. Mentions Neffati Brothers, VidCon, Jamel Neffati, TikTok, YouTuber Simon Clark, Charlie Chaplin, JOBY GuerillaPod, VidCon London 2020, Shoreditch TikTok party
33. Creator Focus: Grandad Joe. TikTok can make stars of ordinary people, such as Grandad Joe, an 88-year-old grandfather from the English Midlands, who is followed by four million people. Mentions ordinary people stars TikTok, Joe Allington, @grandadjoe1933, millions TikTok followers, karaoke TikTok
34. Growing Power. How TikTok expanded across the world, capitalising on the growth of smartphone use and moving in new directions with the rise in online political activism such as #blacklivesmatter. Mentions TikTok Android smartphones, App Annie, mobile data TikTok, Douyin, TikTok scroll, Musical.ly
35. India Boom and Bust. The rapid advertising-driven rise and political fall of TikTok in India, following a ruling by the Indian High Court. Indian users move on to substitute video apps such as Rizzle. Mentions India TikTok, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai,Mumbai, Jio, Israil Ansari, WhatsApp, TikTok Taj
36. End of Silicon Valley Dominance. Simon Valley's control of social media slips as TikTok and China more generally start to exert their tech skills and ambition. Mentions Silicon Valley GAFA, TikTok HQ ShuangYuShu, Tim Cook, Taylor Lorenz, ByteDance, Netflix, Amazon, TenCent, WeChat, Yiming Zhang
37. Opposition Grows in the United States. Antipathy towards China's control of tech grows in the US where politicians start to act against TikTok's growth, bolstered by support from US President Donald Trump. Mentions Yiming Zhang, Alex Zhu, Xi Jinping, Washington, Beijing, Belt and Road Initiative
38. Donald Trump Acts. US President Donald Trump tries to ban TikTok, claiming the Chinese app is a security threat to Americans. Mentions Trump White House, US ban TikTok, Wilbur Ross, Patrick Ryan, Lark TikTok messaging system, Kevin Mayer, Yiming Zhang, Vanessa Pappas
39. Digging into the Data. Analysing whether TikTok represents a security threat to Western users. Mentions Chinese state, Western apps, Michael Gove, Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Huawei, Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, CFIUS, 5G network, ByteDance, Uyghur Muslims, Ren Zhengfei
40. Creator Focus: Mackenzie Turner. Feature on TikTok creator Mackenzie Turner, a Canadian comedian. Mentions YouTuber, Vancouver, Sham Faek, Kobe Zhou, Lael Hansen, @mackenzieturner0, comedy skits TikTok, Simon Fraser University, YouTube channel, finding fame on TikTok
41. Competition. Exploring how rival apps will threaten the future of TikTok, including Zynn and Kwai, and video tools such as Collab developed by Facebook and other major Silicon Valley rivals to TikTok. Mentions Facebook Lasso, Lasso app, Facebook Collab, Dom Hofman, Vine, Kuaishou, Owlii, Zynn, Baidu
42. Zhang Steps Back, ByteDance Races Forward. Amid pressure from the Chinese Communist Party, ByteDance's founder Yiming Zhang moves from public view, while TikTok and other apps continue to surge in popularity worldwide. Mentions Yiming Zhang, TikTok founder, ByteDance, TikTok algorithm
43. The Battle for Supremacy. Discussing who will win the race for tech supremacy, Silicon Valley in the US through tech giants such as Facebook, Google, and Amazon, or companies from Communist China such as ByteDance, Kuaishou and Tencent. Mentions ByteDance, TikTok supremacy, Google, Yiming Zhang
Conclusion. Looking at have we have learnt about TikTok, its parent company ByteDance and the geopolitical tech battle between China and US. Mentions Chinese state control, TikTok growth, western social media, Xi Jinping, Yiming Zhang, Jack Welch, Silicon Valley billionaires, Elaine Jing Zhao
Acknowledgements. Author Chris Stokel-Walker thanks TikTok's executives, including its PR team, for giving access to key members of staff, and to the dozens of current and former members of staff who spoke about TikTok and ByteDance anonymously
Notes. Extensive references covering the key facts about TikTok, ByteDance, Douyin and other aspects of the social media battle between China and US companies
