TikTok today announced a new in-app creation tool called the TikTok Library, which the company hopes will make it easier for creators to access entertaining content and engage with trends. Initially, the TikTok Library will be populated with curated content from GIPHY, including its collection of GIFs with sound, known as GIPHY Clips.
TikTok said that over time it hopes to expand the TikTok Library with more content sources, audio and sounds, text templates and content from other TikTok creators. However, the company declined to share what future partners it might have in these jobs.
Launched in 2019 as GIPHY Video, GIPHY Clips is today a way for entertainment partners such as TV and film studios, game makers, record labels, sports leagues, news outlets and more to share appropriately licensed content on the GIPHY platform.
Over time, the feature has expanded to include thousands of content producers looking to leverage GIFs with sound (also known as short videos) to reach GIPHY’s hundreds of millions of daily active users. These GIPHY snippets can be shared anywhere on the web via links, as well as in messaging apps, in workplace tools like Slack, and in other third-party apps through GIPHY’s developer toolset, the GIPHY SDK.
At launch, TikTok says it will support GIPHY clip categories such as Reactions, Quotes, People and Iconic Moments. Reactions are those GIFs that capture someone’s raw emotions, while quotes are memorable catchphrases and sayings from well-known people. A person category can be anyone with a following, such as a celebrity or an athlete. Iconic moments are unforgettable moments like amazing sports games, awards ceremony speeches and other big events.
In addition to the millions of GIFs in GIPHY’s broader repository, the integration within TikTok will include a portion of the GIPHY Clips repository, which runs into the tens of thousands, a TikTok spokesperson said. While TikTok already offers a number of creative tools within its social video app, the company says it continues to find new ways to help creators express themselves. That’s what GIPHY integration is all about.
To use the feature, TikTok users will tap the new “TikTok Library” icon on the app’s sidebar. Once in the TikTok Library, users can scroll through popular content or use the search bar to find more specific content. Once the user has selected the content they want to use, they can trim it to the desired length and return to the capture page to continue capturing video. TikTok said the library feature will roll out first in select markets on Android and on iOS next week, before expanding to more TikTok users around the world in the coming weeks.