TikTok has launched a division called BytePlus with which it will sell its app’s own technology and services, such as the recommendation algorithm.
According to the Financial Times, ByteDance, the parent of TikTok, is offering computer vision technology, real-time effects, machine translations, and of course the recommendation algorithm.
This algorithm is in charge of providing the TikTok user with videos similar to those of their liking, taking into account the theme, duration, protagonists, etc. He is responsible for the great popularity of the platform and the great retention of people in their daily sessions to the app.
When a video is uploaded to TikTok, the algorithm first shows you a small subset of users. These people may or may not follow the creator, but the app has determined that they are more likely to interact with the video, based on their past behavior.
If you share or watch the videos in full, TikTok shows you more people who it thinks share similar interests. That same process is then repeated, and if the video meets these feedback loops, the video can go viral. But if the initial small group shows no interest in the video, it will show up to fewer users and limit its reach.
You already have clients
BytePlus debuted in June and is based in Singapore, although it has a presence in Hong Kong and London. The company is seeking to register trademarks in the US.
There are already at least some clients. American fashion app Goat already uses the BytePlus code, as does Indonesian online shopping company Chilibeli and travel site WeGo.
