TikTok Testing Streaming App: Could It Take On YouTube and Twitch For Gaming?

Leading social media app TikTok could be taking on more rivals with a new feature that should appeal to gamers. 

What Happened: TikTok Live Studio, a new feature being tested by TikTok, allows users to broadcast live footage from games and other desktop apps, according to TechCrunch.

Users can log in with their TikTok account and stream directly from within the app.

“Within the program, you can communicate with viewers through the chat feature, and you can stream content from your computer, your phone or a gaming consoled,” TechCrunch wrote.

TikTok Live Studio is only available for a few thousand users and in several Western markets, TikTok told TechCrunch.

The current TikTok Live Studio layout is pretty basic, according to streaming expert Zach Bussey on Twitter Inc TWTR. TikTok Live Studio has landscape and portrait mode and includes several capture modes, text, images and emojis.

Related Link: 6 Famous Gaming Streamers Who Left Twitch For YouTube

Why It’s Important: While TikTok Live Studio has not officially been launched or rolled out, it could soon become a threat to large gaming streaming companies like YouTube and Twitch, owned by Alphabet Inc GOOGGOOGL and Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN, respectively.

Currently, TikTok users who also stream games have to move from one app to another and try to get their audience to follow them.

By supporting gaming streams, TikTok could see its users spend more time in the app and keep its creators from choosing other platforms over TikTok.

TikTok creators can accept tips, use live Q&A tools, go live with other TikTok streamers and schedule events, according to the report.

The new feature from TikTok, which has had massive success as a mobile app, could help it attract desktop users. Game streaming is typically more watched on desktop versus mobile.

TikTok announced it passed one billion monthly users in September. TikTok has been growing faster than other social media platforms, appealing to a young audience and growing its relevancy to companies looking to appeal to different demographics.

A survey from Forrester showed 63% of Americans aged 12 to 17 use TikTok weekly versus 57% for Instagram, a unit of Meta Platforms Inc FB.

Photo by Alexander Shatov on Unsplash