iWorld
Tik-Tok begins testing ‘link in bio’ feature to monetise its billion plus user-base
MUMBAI: Popular social networking app Tik-Tok has begun limited test of a feature that will allow users to add links to products and e-commerce sites on their bio and posts. The Chinese short-video making platform, with a billion plus users, has been exploring ways to monetise its ever-increasing user-base and the new feature will put it in direct competition with established players like Facebook and Instagram, both of which let its users monetise their content.
The new feature allows content creators on Tik-Tok to insert product links, offering users the ability to send their viewers to shopping websites effortlessly to monetise its platform. The ‘link in bio’ feature was first rolled out by Instagram and was subsequently adopted by Facebook as well.
The new feature was first noticed by marketer Fabian Bern, a marketer and according to the video shared by him on Twitter, the users can now swipe on a post to directly visit an e-commerce platform to buy a product.
BREAKING: TikTok launches 'link in bio' & 'social commerce URLS' in videos @MattNavarra @TaylorLorenz @sarahintampa @TechCrunch @thenextweb @techinasia #tiktok pic.twitter.com/HczzHOHCNf
— Fabian Bern 法比安 (@iamfabianbern) November 14, 2019
Launched in 2017, the app developed by ByteDance, currently has over 1.5 billion users worldwide. The app is immensely popular in India. According to app research firm Sensor Tower: “India has been the biggest driver of TikTok's popularity, giving it 466.8 million downloads. China generated the second-most downloads, with 173.2 million or 11.5 percent. The US came in third, with 123.8 million downloads, or 8.2 percent. And that's not even including third party Android installs. Specifically, India drove up 277.6 million downloads so far this year, roughly 45 percent of all global installs for the app this year.”
iWorld
Tata Play Binge adds Pocket Films to micro drama platform Shots
Over 210 micro dramas and 220 hours of content strengthen short form play
MUMBAI: Short stories are getting shorter and sharper. Tata Play Binge is doubling down on snackable storytelling, adding Pocket Films to its micro-drama hub Shots as it looks to capture India’s fast-growing appetite for quick-consumption content. The move expands Shots into a deeper, more diverse catalogue, now featuring over 210 micro-dramas and 220 hours of short-format programming across genres such as action, drama and thriller. The content spans Hindi and key regional languages, reflecting the increasingly local yet mobile-first nature of viewing habits.
Pocket Films brings with it a library of emotionally driven, culturally rooted narratives, including micro-dramas like Chaturanga, Vidushi, Maasa, Silent Cycle and Pilibhit, alongside short films such as Lock-up, Dubki and The Disguise. The addition builds on existing partnerships with Bullet and Stage, strengthening Shots as a one-stop destination for bite-sized storytelling.
Designed for vertical viewing, the platform leans into scroll-friendly interfaces, auto-play sequencing and seamless discovery mirroring the habits of always-on, digital-first audiences. The content remains ad-supported and is available within the Tata Play Binge app at no additional cost.
The integration also sits within a broader aggregation strategy. Tata Play Binge currently offers access to 30 plus OTT services including Prime Video, JioHotstar, Zee5 and Apple TV+ through a single subscription and interface, aiming to simplify fragmented streaming consumption.
As platforms race to keep up with shrinking attention spans, Tata Play Binge’s bet is straightforward: when stories get shorter, the catalogue needs to get bigger and faster.
