Guides by platform

TikTok guides

How TikTok works, how it earns, what it takes to launch a platform like it, and how it compares.

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Articles

App store rules12 min

Will the App Store Approve a Look-Alike Video App?

Will Apple reject a clone app? Which store rules target copycats and templates, what a distinct brand changes, and a submission checklist for video apps.

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Brand versus brand13 min

TikTok vs Instagram Reels vs YouTube Shorts Compared

TikTok vs Instagram Reels vs YouTube Shorts compared as products: discovery, monetization, who owns the audience, and what a standalone app can do instead.

Read articleInstagramTikTok
Video and streaming infrastructure12 min

Scaling Video Delivery: CDN, Storage and Transcoding Choices

How to scale a video streaming app: the life of an uploaded clip, where cost and latency come from, and when to change CDN, storage and transcoding.

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Content rights and licensing13 min

Music Licensing for a Short Video App: What to Decide

Music licensing for a short video app explained: the rights involved, who grants each, four practical routes, a comparison table and a takedown checklist.

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Coins, gifts and wallets12 min

How Virtual Gifts Work on Live Streaming Apps, Step by Step

How virtual gifts work on live streaming apps: coins, gifts, creator credit, agencies, leaderboards and PK battles, traced from purchase to cash-out.

Read articleBigo LiveTikTok
Short video and live12 min

How to Start a Short Video App: A Step-by-Step Plan

How to start a short video app in seven steps: pick the niche, choose revenue lines, build or buy, set the rules, seed creators, launch, and measure 90 days.

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Creator acquisition12 min

How to Get Creators on a Short Video App: A Seeding Plan

How to get creators on a short video app: pick one group and one promise, make offers that work with no viewers, run a seeding plan, and track creator health.

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Coins, gifts and wallets14 min

How TikTok Gifts and Coins Work: Live Gifting Economics

How do TikTok gifts work? Follow the chain from coins bought to gifts sent to diamonds earned and cashed out, with the store rules and margin math.

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Ads and sponsorship13 min

How Does TikTok Shop Work? Social Commerce Explained

How does TikTok Shop work? Sellers, creators and shoppers, fees, affiliate commission, returns, and what a smaller video app needs to run its own shop.

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How the brands make money12 min

How Does TikTok Make Money? Ads, Gifts, Shop and More

How does TikTok make money? Each revenue line explained: ad formats, virtual gifts, shop commissions, subscriptions, and what a smaller operator can switch on

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How it works14 min

How Does the TikTok Algorithm Work? A Builder’s View

How does the TikTok algorithm work? What TikTok documents, what is general recommender practice, and which feed controls an operator should keep.

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Commission and creator payouts13 min

How Do TikTok Creators Get Paid? Payout Models Compared

How do TikTok creators get paid? Compare per-view programs, gifts, subscriptions, brand deals and shop commission, and the payout decisions an operator makes.

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