Short video makers are an up and coming category of apps that are really hitting the ground running in China. Short video clips (even less than a second long) have been gaining in popularity along with social platforms like Instagram and Snapchat, and especially in China with Wechat and Weibo. The social component to online video broadcasting has changed how we consume short videos, and what we expect from them.

A recent research project by Music Ally supposed that the short video app space in China could be a predictor of what is yet to come globally. In this article we give a basic overview of some of the major short video makers in China and what unique features they have to offer.

What is a short video app?

It depends on what app you’re using and what you’re using the videos for, but a short video app is essentially, an app that makes short video clips. Some apps have specific use cases such as converting iPhone Live Photos into gif’s or short movies so that they can be shared on social media, while others exist to create a slideshow type sequence of photos. Some apps might have this feature built in (like Instagram) whilst others are standalone apps, or can be linked onto social media apps. Most short video makers tend to have some form of social component.

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China’s most popular short video apps

快手 (Kuaishou)

Kuaishou started as a gif program and then expanded into a short video maker. Users can create both pictures and videos, as well as combinations.

• Video length: up to 17 seconds
• Live streaming: Yes
• Captioning: Manual

火山小视频 (Huoshan)

Huoshan is a video shooting app, so you must make the short video clips in real-time (rather than using existing photo and video content).

• Video length: up to 15 seconds
• Live streaming: Yes
• Captioning: Manual

微视 (Weishi)

Weishi is unique in that it has an integrated subtitles feature. Once common use for users to include song lyrics as subtitles if they’re singing the videos.

• Video length: Not specified
• Live streaming: Yes
• Captioning: Automated

西瓜视频 (Xigua Video)

Xigua Video is a bit more similar to YouTube than others in that it has a searchable platform and uses an AI to recommend videos based on interests.

• Video length: Not specified
• Live streaming: Yes
• Captioning: Manual

美拍 (MeiPai)

MeiPai is a social video platform which users can add filters, audio clips, video effects and overlays. The platform started out with a 10 second limit, but now allows for videos up to 5 minutes in length. MeiPai integrates with Weibo, and the videos created by users can be downloaded and shared on other platform as well.

• Video length: up to 5 minutes
• Live streaming: Yes
• Captioning: Manual

秒拍 (Miaopai)

Miaopai is the most popular short video maker in China, with over 250 million daily views. Users must shoot videos in-app. They have the option to scroll through and view short video clips shared by those they follow (much like Instagram). The big sell for Miaopai is that many Chinese celebrities use it to interact with their fans. Miaopai integrates with Weibo.

• Video length: Not specified
• Live streaming: Yes
• Captioning: Manual

小咖秀 (Xiaokaxiu)

Xiaokaxiu’s main use is the creation of music videos, or users creating videos from existing audio. They can upload the audio and select from included illustrations, animations and text to create a short video clip. Xiaokaxiu has an integrated audio captioning feature.

• Video length: Not specified
• Live streaming: Yes
• Captioning: Automated

场库 (Changku)

Changku was created by a movie production community in China, and in doing so, has become the go-to platform for sharing high-quality short films. It has global popularity.

• Video length: Not specified
• Live streaming: No
• Captioning: Manual

小影 (VivaVideo)

VivaVideo is used to create short video clips. VivaVideo includes a variety of features, including music, filters and the option to add subtitles. The short video clips created by users tend to be more artistically-driven than on other apps.

• Video length: Up to 10 seconds
• Live streaming: Yes
• Captioning: Manual

Conclusion

The increasing popularity of short video apps in China are possibly a sign of what’s to come globally for how we consume and use these social platforms. The individual abilities on each app allows the user to express their creativity in different ways. We’re excited to see what’s next in the space of short video apps.

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Also read: 9 of iOS Top Video Editing Apps 2021 here.