Live.ly
{{Short description|Chinese live-streaming service, now TikTok}}
{{distinguish|Lively (company)|Lively (disambiguation){{!}}Lively}}
{{Infobox software
| title = Live.ly
| name = Live.ly
| logo = Live.ly logo.png
| logo caption = Logo
| author = {{ubl|Musical.ly Inc.
}}
| developer = {{ubl|
}}
| latest preview version = {{Start date and age|2016|5}}
| released = iOS
July 24, 2016
Android
September 12, 2016
| latest release version = {{Start date and age|2018|8|2}}
| discontinued = yes
| operating system = {{Flatlist|
}}
| replaced_by = TikTok
| language count =
| genre = Live streaming
| license = Proprietary software with terms of use
}}
Live.ly (pronounced "Lively", stylized as live.ly) was a live-streaming service created by Musical.ly in 2016, headquartered in Shanghai with an American office in San Francisco. It allowed users to stream live videos, interact through chat, and send virtual gifts, which streamers could monetize.{{cite web |last1=Roof |first1=Katie |title=Musical.ly launches live.ly for live streaming |url=https://techcrunch.com/2016/05/27/musical-ly-launches-live-ly-for-livestreaming/ |website=TechCrunch |access-date=4 May 2024 |date=27 May 2016}} Following its launch, the app amassed over 40 million active users by late 2016.{{cite web |last1=Manavis |first1=Sarah |title=Live.ly is the latest place for adults to extract money from kids online |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/science-tech/2018/05/lively-latest-place-adults-extract-money-kids-online |website=New Statesman |access-date=4 May 2024 |date=15 May 2018}} In 2018, after ByteDance acquired Musical.ly, Live.ly was merged with TikTok, resulting in its shutdown.{{cite web |last1=Perez |first1=Sarah |title=Musical.ly kills its standalone live-streaming app Live.ly |url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/06/13/musical-ly-kills-its-standalone-live-streaming-app-live-ly/ |website=TechCrunch |access-date=4 May 2024 |date=13 June 2018}}{{cite web |last1=Spangler |first1=Todd |title=Musical.ly Shuts Down Live.ly, Will Merge Live-Streaming Into Main App |url=https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/musically-lively-shutdown-streaming-app-1202844719/ |website=Variety |access-date=4 May 2024 |date=13 June 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://beebom.com/musical-ly-app-to-be-shut-down-users-will-be-migrated-to-tiktok/|title=Musical.ly App To Be Shut Down, Users Will Be Migrated to TikTok|last=Kundu|first=Kishalaya|date=August 2, 2018|website=Beebom|access-date=May 30, 2019|archive-date=October 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191005154207/https://beebom.com/musical-ly-app-to-be-shut-down-users-will-be-migrated-to-tiktok/|url-status=live}}
History
=Founding=
In August 2014, Musical.ly was launched by Musical.ly Inc.{{cite web |last1=Carson |first1=Biz |title=How a failed education startup turned into Musical.ly, the most popular app you've probably never heard of |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-musically-2016-5 |website=Business Insider |access-date=4 May 2024 |date=28 May 2016}} The app quickly gained popularity, particularly among teenagers, and by June 2016, it had amassed an active user base of approximately 90 million.{{cite news|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/7423281/warner-music-group-deal-musical-ly|title=Fresh Off a Big Funding Round, Musical.ly Signs Its First Major Label Deal with Warner Music|magazine=Billboard|date=June 29, 2016|author=Dan Rys|access-date=June 29, 2016|archive-date=August 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813103636/http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/7423281/warner-music-group-deal-musical-ly|url-status=live}}
In May 2016, Musical.ly announced the launch of Live.ly as a competitor to other social media platforms releasing live streaming services. Musical.ly initiated beta testing of the platform in the same month. Live.ly was published on the iTunes Store in late June 2016 and gained a significant user base shortly after its release.
On July 24, 2016, Musical.ly officially released Live.ly globally at VidCon.{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2016/digital/news/lively-livestream-musically-1201803301/|title=Musical.ly May Be the Spoiler in Livestream Race with Launch of Live.ly|work=Variety|author=Wallenstein, Andrew|date=June 24, 2016|access-date=June 24, 2016|archive-date=November 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108125657/https://variety.com/2016/digital/news/lively-livestream-musically-1201803301/|url-status=live}}
= Growth =
By October 2016, Live.ly had surpassed Twitter's Periscope iOS app,{{cite web |last1=Spangler |first1=Todd |title=Musical.ly's Live.ly Is Now Bigger Than Twitter's Periscope on iOS (Study) |url=https://variety.com/2016/digital/news/musically-lively-bigger-than-periscope-1201875105/ |website=Variety |access-date=6 May 2024 |date=30 September 2016}} amassing approximately 40 million active users. In a two-week period, the top 10 accounts collectively earned US$46,000 from virtual gifts sent by users. {{cite web |last1=Spangler |first1=Todd |title=Musical.ly Live-Streaming Stars Are Earning Thousands of Dollars From Adoring Fans |url=https://variety.com/2016/digital/news/musical-ly-live-ly-streaming-stars-earning-1201904864/ |website=Variety |access-date=6 May 2024 |date=31 October 2016}}
= Merger into TikTok =
In June 2018, Live.ly was removed from app stores in preparation for its merger with TikTok. ByteDance, the company that acquired Musical.ly and Live.ly, announced plans to merge the two into a single app, enabling users to seamlessly watch videos and view live streams.{{cite news |last1=Lin |first1=Liza |last2=Winkler |first2=Rolfe |date=November 9, 2017 |title=Social-Media App Musical.ly Is Acquired for as Much as $1 Billion |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/lip-syncing-app-musical-ly-is-acquired-for-as-much-as-1-billion-1510278123?tesla=y |work=The Wall Street Journal |location=New York City |access-date=November 12, 2017 |archive-date=June 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613013825/https://www.wsj.com/articles/lip-syncing-app-musical-ly-is-acquired-for-as-much-as-1-billion-1510278123?tesla=y |url-status=live }}
On August 2, 2018, Live.ly was merged into TikTok{{Cite web|url=https://beebom.com/musical-ly-app-to-be-shut-down-users-will-be-migrated-to-tiktok/|title=Musical.ly App To Be Shut Down, Users Will Be Migrated to TikTok|last=Kundu|first=Kishalaya|date=August 2, 2018|website=Beebom|access-date=May 30, 2019|archive-date=October 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191005154207/https://beebom.com/musical-ly-app-to-be-shut-down-users-will-be-migrated-to-tiktok/|url-status=live}} alongside Musical.ly following ByteDance's reported US$1 billion acquisition. After its shutdown, users were redirected to the live-streaming platform LiveMe.{{cite web |last1=Perez |first1=Sarah |title=Musical.ly's shutdown of Live.ly was contractually obligated |url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/07/23/musical-lys-shutdown-of-live-ly-was-contractually-obligated/ |website=TechCrunch |access-date=6 May 2024 |date=23 July 2018}}
Criticism and controversies
= Paul Zimmer accusations =
In April 2017, Internet personality Paul Zimmer was accused of financially exploiting his young fans by failing to deliver on promised shout-outs and personal messages. Zimmer frequently neglected to fulfill these promises, often ignoring or declining requests. The hashtag #BanPaulZimmer quickly gained traction on Musical.ly and Live.ly in response to Zimmer's behavior. Consequently, Zimmer deleted all videos where he made such promises and took an 18-month hiatus from social media.{{cite news |last1=Manavis |first1=Sarah |title=The strange case of Paul Zimmer, the influencer who came back as a different person |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/science-tech/social-media/2020/01/strange-case-paul-zimmer-influencer-tiktok-instagram-rebrand-different-person-troy-becker |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20201016191252/https://www.newstatesman.com/science-tech/social-media/2020/01/strange-case-paul-zimmer-influencer-tiktok-instagram-rebrand-different-person-troy-becker |archivedate=16 October 2020|accessdate=16 October 2020 |work=New Statesman |date=8 January 2020}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{TikTok navbox}}
{{Social networking services}}
Category:Android (operating system) software
Category:Defunct social networking services
Category:Companies based in Shanghai
Category:2016 establishments in China
Category:Chinese companies established in 2016