Snapchat officially launches Spotlight in-app TikTok rival

Finally, Snap can compete with TikTok and will pay creators on the platform to publish. Today the company is officially unveiling a new segment of Snapchat called Spotlight that will surface vertical video content from users that is more meme-like and jokey rather than previously encouraged Snap’s day-in-the-life content. Imagine TikTok, literally, but in Snapchat.

In order to inspire people to regularly share snaps, the company says it will divide up to $1 million a day between the most famous creators on the platform by the end of 2020. This means that if anyone has a particularly viral video, a significant chunk of the $1 million pot could be won. It does not matter if that person has a large number of subscribers;  the amount people receive is primarily based on unique views compared to other snaps that day. If it’s popular for different days at a time, users can continue to earn from their video.

In 11 nations, including the US, UK, France, Germany, and Australia, the Spotlight, which will have its own dedicated tab in the app, is launching. The videos you can see in the section can be up to 60 seconds long and can not be watermarked as of right now. That means people can’t just download and upload to Snapchat their (or others’) viral TikToks. You can see snaps programmed to what Snapchat’s algorithm thinks you would enjoy once you tap into Spotlight. This decision is primarily based on what you have seen in the past and how long you have been watching it. When posting, anyone can upload a snap, they will just have to tap “Spotlight” to ensure it filled the section.

Although the format will be familiar to anyone has ever watched TikTok, Snap says it takes specific decisions based on its user base. For one a public comments section will not be available for Spotlight snaps, and profiles themselves are private by default, meaning Snapchatters can keep their accounts locked while still posting content.

Snap clearly acknowledges the popularity of TikTok’s short-form viral videos with  Spotlight, similar to Instagram’s admission in August with its launch of Reels. However, in Instagram’s case, it specifically enables individuals to bring their TikTok content to the site. Instead, Snap aims to allow individuals to use their own development tools by keeping individuals in its app to avoid monetization fraud. Stories used to be the format everyone wanted to copy, thanks to its success on Snapchat. Now, it’s the TikTok video.