Elon Musk will bring video-only feed to X in bid to take on TikTok and Instagram Reels: sources
Elon Muskās X could soon unveil a feź¦ature putting it head-to-head with TikTok and Instagram Reelš§s.
The company is prepping the launch of a feature where X users will be servedą¶£ a stream of videos ā both short snippets and longer-form videos, depending on their interests, a source told The Post.&nšØbsp;
Sources at X described it as a way to highlight the video content that users are sharing aš§nd creating and organize it under one tab. A beta version is expected to be available to a select group of users later this ź§summer.
Musk has wanted to launch an updated version of Vine, the fošrmer 10-second video app which was once integrated into Twitter, since he bought the social media platformź¦ in October 2022.
In April, whether he should bring back Vš³ineš½ and nearly 70% of respondents voted yes.
āVine was taken into consideration with this,ā one souršce said of the decision to launch a video platform inside Twitter. āThe goal is to bring back that cool video experience.ā
At its height, Vine hadš° 200 million users and started viral trends like the Ice Bucket Challenge to raise money for ALź¦S research.
But Twitter failed to monetize Vine and the app was shuttered in 2017.
If the TikTok ban signed into law earlią¶£er this year goes into effect, millions of Americans may be looking for more platforms to share their videos ā which could bring them to X.
The new product will also include a live streaming video element, a service users havenāt had since Twitter shut down Periscope in 2021, the source added.
That feature would be separate from the existing audio āspacesā where users can have live chats with other X users and broadcast it to fļæ½ā±ļæ½ollowers.
X sources are hoping a new Vine-inspired concept could also make money if users buy services like subscriptions and “verification.” X now makes nearly 25% of its income from selling subscriptions and licensing data.
The move is part of a larger effort from X CEO Linda Yaccarino to expand the platform’s exclusive content, which also includes attracting popular personalities and striking deals with major sports and media companies.
The company has signed deals with the WWE, PGA, NBA, CondĆ© Nast, NFL and the WNBA to create excšÆlusive content for X.
Tšhe social media giant is also producing a long-form docuāmentary about the Boston Celtics, sources said.
It has also brought in namesš like celebrity businesswoman Paris Hilton, sports broadcaster Jim Rome, and former Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard to create exclusive posts for X.
And the company is trying to attract smaller names with niche ź§followings by sharing revenue with some creators on the platform.
āX is becoming a new video destšination,ā the source said.
At the same time, X is gearing up to launch an app for smart TVs toā make it easier to watch longer videos on a bigger screen, a source with direct knowledge told The Post.
šThe X TV app, which is still being developed, is expected to be available later š°this summer.