New Delhi: New Delhi: Los Angeles-based social video app Triller has seen around 40 million downloads from Google Play Store and Apple App Store in India within a month and half of its launch, after the ban on Chinese short-video platform TikTok.
In early August, Triller was ranked No.1 in all app store categories in 50 markets including the US, Australia, France, Great Britain and Italy, overtaking YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat and other apps, executive chairman Bobby Sarnevesht told ET.
Owned by Hollywood producer Ryan Kavanaugh and Sarnevesht’s Proxima Media, Triller has had exponential growth in India so far, Sarnevesht said.
“From being ranked No.1 in our first week (without spending a dime on marketing in India) to now securing the No.1 spot worldwide, we have made a mark in the industry,” said Sarnevesht. “Currently Triller has roughly 70 million active users a month, with a total of 250 million downloads worldwide, reporting 500% month-over-month growth,” he added.
The app, endorsed by celebrities such as Mike Tyson and having strategic partners like Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne and The Weeknd, has onboarded influencers and celebrities like Bhuvan Bam, Armaan Malik, TikTok star Awez Darbar and others to create content on the platform in India.
Sarnevesht said the app has seen a spike in users coming over from TikTok and it recently announced TikTok sensation Josh Richards as its new chief strategy officer.
Triller has commitments from investors for $200-300 million, according to people familiar with the matter.
“Security operations of apps have been of growing concern for quite some time, so it’s understandable that more and more countries, like the US and India, have taken certain steps to shed light upon these issues or ban an app entirely,” said Sarnevesht.
He said Triller’s security measures differ greatly from other apps. “Triller does not save facial biometrics and apart from learning a user’s taste in music to help personalise their feed, collects no further personal data like email addresses or phone numbers. US data is encrypted, stored in the US and backed up in the UK. All Indian data stays within and under Indian guidelines and law,” he said.
Sarnevesht said Triller is exploring partnerships with some of the large Indian music labels and what sets it apart from the competition is its integration with leaders in the music industry such as Apple Music, Sony Music, Warner and Universal. Recently, Triller acquired Halogen Networks, obtaining ownership of Halogen’s patents for live video streaming.
“We are keen to work with Indian companies to create similar synergies. In India, song and dance is huge, whether it’s with your artistes in the label music industry or in the film industry, you have the best combination of both. We will continue to reach out to every section of society and geography in India to encourage the youth to adopt and enjoy the platform,” he added.
Sarnevesht said Triller works with ‘industry stalwarts’ specific to the geography it is launching in, to learn about that country’s needs and ensure the best experience possible. “For example, basis what the US market needed, Triller’s integration with Snapchat furthered our expansion into first-in-class editing tools, filters and other AI features, and enabled users to incorporate Snapchat’s AR capabilities directly into its app, offering exclusive Snapchat lenses inspired by artists and songs,” he said.
He said what is also ‘distinctive’ about Triller is that it uses artificial intelligence to automate the editing process by breaking apart songs into ‘rhythmic beats.’
“By matching them with biometric movements in a video, Triller users are able to create 15-second celeb-quality music videos.What also differentiates us is the timely advice, support and guidance we enjoy from our heavyweight roster of investors and strategic partners such as Snoop Dogg, The Weeknd, Marshmello, Lil Wayne, YoungThug, Takeoff, Quavo, Baron Davis, Tyga, TI, Jake Paul, and Troy Cartner.”
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