After starting the private beta back in May, the experimental app division from Facebook has silently launched a new product called Collab, and app that promises to deliver a new approach to collaborative music making. The app, launching as an invite-only beta on iOS, is from Facebook’s NPE division (short for new product experimentation).
The primary pitch of Collab is that you can create short-form videos split into three simultaneous sources. Additionally, you can perform one single song by playing and linking three different instruments together. Moreover, you can collaborate with your friends (thus the name of the app “Collab) by taking up one of the 3 possible pieces.
Collab isn’t the company’s first shot in this field. In 2018, the company released a similar app called Lasso to create short videos and record. It also facilitated dancing and lip-syncing to music, like TikTok. The app was tipped to launch in India this year. However, over the course of time, Facebook decided to abandon that ship, and jump aboard Instagram Reels, a feature that has since been expanded to global markets.
The significant distinction with TikTok’s duets is that one and all movies posted to Collab can be blended and matched with others. TikTok, meanwhile, permits creators to manipulate who can duet with them. Facebook says you’ll always be able to share these creations with other sites, such as Instagram and TikTok, but only after they ‘re uploaded to Collab initially.
The Chinese video sharing app TikTok has quickly become one of the most popular social media networks thanks to its recommended algorithms and exclusive music licensing deals, which allow users to sample the latest smash hits. With the Collab app and Instagram Reels, Facebook is set to take on Chinese grown TikTok and provide people with an alternative during the pandemic.
Facebook notes there’s light work that needs to be performed to polish the app’s abilities. However, the crew will be working on the product and responding to user suggestions going ahead.
