Have you heard more of Triller lately? Amid a growing worldwide TikTok ban, Triller has become a popular alternative that’s quickly gaining attention as an entertainment and music platform.
Although Triller came into the scene in 2015—a year before TikTok—it hasn’t enjoyed the cult-like following and exponential growth of the younger short-form video app. However, with talks about TikTok getting banned in the United States and many other countries, Triller might just find itself in the spotlight.
If you’re a social media influencer or a brand heavily leveraging the reach and engagement on TikTok, now’s a good time to explore Triller as a TikTok alternative. Will it be the new hub of viral videos or would it fade into obscurity? Hopefully, the statistics, trends, and news we share in this article can help you make an informed decision about whether or not to include Triller in your marketing strategy.
A Quick Peek at Triller: Facts and Figures
The Triller App was launched almost a decade ago as an entertainment and music platform for capturing and sharing videos. Like TikTok, it also has built-in tools for adding music, filters, and effects to videos. However, its user base is relatively niche, mostly attracting music video creators with its AI-assisted video editing and music synchronization tools.
Let’s take a peek at its corporate data:
- Location: Offices in Los Angeles, New York, Paris, London, Faro, Orlando
- Date Founded: March 11, 2015
- Developer: Triller LLC
- Revenue: $45,000,000 in 2023
- Number of Employees: ~214 employees
- Investors: ClearVue Partners, Falcon Capital, Ash Pournouri, Mahi de Silva, Proxima Media, and over a dozen other investors
- Acquisitions/Partner Brands: Triller, TrillerTV, BKFC, Amplify.ai, Fangage, Julius, CLIQZ, Crosshype, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, Thuzio
- Main Competitors: Animoto, TikTok, Slidely, Sonarworks
Why Triller Matters
Although the TikTok ban is drawing focus on Triller, the company offers more for businesses than a TikTok alternative, as the Triller App is just one of its many offerings. Over the years, Triller has made several acquisitions that have made it a powerful partner for business growth. It now has a robust creator stack that influencers and brands can utilize to strengthen their online presence.
While the Triller App is simply a social video platform, it is part of a vast digital ecosystem with other content, AI, and SaaS tools.
After creating social videos on the Triller App, users can leverage content distribution platforms like TrillerTV, FITE, CLIQZ, and Crosshype. AI solutions for performance monitoring, data analytics, and monetization like Amplify.ai, Julius, Fangage, and Thuzio further ease the content creation process. With a full end-to-end tech stack, Triller can help influencers and brands:
- Widen their reach and boost online visibility
- Increase audience engagement and foster relationships
- Monetize their content and increase revenue
Triller Statistics That Impact Marketing Campaigns
Regardless of where you land on the Triller vs. TikTok debate, it’s important to understand the Triller app better if you’re an influencer or in the marketing industry. Here’s a roundup of the latest Triller stats to help you learn more about the short-form video content platform. Understanding how these numbers impact consumer trends can help you decide how best to utilize Triller in your marketing strategies.
Who’s on Triller?
During its early years, Triller’s edge over TikTok was that it had the hottest and most influential artists on the platform. TikTok was the app where anyone could share their videos and become TikTok influencers. But Triller was the app where celebrities create and share music videos and where fans should be if they wanted to get the freshest drops from their idols.
In fact, music icons Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne, Shawn G, Ash Pournouri, and James Prince are also known Triller investors. Other A-listers creating and sharing their videos on the Triller App are The Weeknd, Tyga, Josh Richards, Charli D’amelio, Noah Beck, and Billie Eilish.
In 2023, Triller reported having over 2.2 million creators and 25,000 brands on board. It further claims to have streamed over 3,000 events and gained more than 200 billion social media reactions in the same year.
Triller KPIs
Social Media Presence of Triller
Triller still has much to work on when it comes to its presence on other social media platforms. As the TikTok ban fuels interest in the Triller App, these numbers are likely to grow in the coming months. However, Triller must provide exceptional user experiences in all its service offerings for it to sustain growth.
- 175K followers on Facebook
- 47.9K followers on X
- 882K followers on Instagram
- 210K subscribers on YouTube
- 47.72K followers on LinkedIn
Social media presence Triller
App Rankings
Based on the number of downloads and app rankings, Triller has a lot of catching up to do. While its ranking has moved up on the App Store, it still hasn’t reached the top 100 free apps in its category.
Triller app ranking
As of October 2024, the App Store shows the following rankings for free apps in the Photo & Video category:
- #2 – Instagram
- #3 – YouTube
- #4 – Snapchat
- #10 – TikTok
- #146 – Triller
Number of Downloads
The number of downloads reported on the Google Play Store shows a similar story. Triller may have over ten million downloads, but it still pales in comparison with TikTok’s 500M+.
Triller: Social Video Platform (Screenshot in October 2024)
As of October 2024, the number of downloads from the Google Play Store for popular social media platforms are:
- 10B+ for YouTube
- 5B+ for Facebook
- 5B+ for Instagram
- 1B+ for X
- 500M+ for TikTok
- 10M+ for Triller
As for the number of Triller downloads across all platforms, the number is contentious. On its website, Triller says that it has 250 million downloads. However, this does not align with the app rankings on both the App Store and the Play Store.
Triller app downloads
Since their claims have been debunked by third-party analytics firms including Apptopia and Sensor Tower, Triller has stopped sharing data on downloads, visits, and interactions. They explained that these numbers have no legal definitions and are subject to different interpretations. Furthermore, these numbers do not reflect what their company values and stands for.
Monthly Download Growth
Contrary to expectations, as of October 2024 Triller downloads have decreased by 15.28% over the past 30 days. According to Crunchbase, it has only been downloaded 130,040 times in the last 30 days prior to October 11, 2024.
Monthly Download Growth
Global Traffic Rank
According to SimilarWeb, Triller ranked 205,829 among websites globally as of October 2024, with an estimated average of 198K monthly visits and 104K unique visitors.
Global Traffic Rank
The analytics company also reported a total number of 594,706 visits for Triller from July to September 2024.
Total Visits
Share of Visits and Visits Growth by Country
A few years ago, Triller’s top 5 countries in terms of visits were the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and France.
Triller share of visits by country
However, visitors have declined for the United States and France.
Triller visits growth by country
Recent data though shows Triller gaining traction in Asia. The site has had a significant number of visits from Indonesia and other Asia-Pacific countries.
Site’s Rank and Rank Growth by Country
Triller’s top 5 countries in terms of the site’s ranking are the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and France.
Triller Site's rank by country
Triller has slipped in rankings in the United Kingdom and Canada.
Triller rank growth by country
Visit Duration
Before Triller stopped sharing app metrics, they claimed that users spend about 22 minutes on the app each day (creators spend about an hour). This is much less than TikTok’s users who are on the platform multiple times each day and spend an average of 53.8 minutes on the platform each day.
Active Monthly Users
Triller also claimed to have 65 million monthly active users. This number, though, is hotly debated. An app’s number of monthly active users (MAUs) is a way to measure the app’s usage and popularity. This number tends to be a lot smaller than the app’s total downloads because people will download an app to check it out but may not continue using it regularly.
One way to look at MAUs is through the lens of lifetime retention. Snapchat has a lifetime retention rate of 20% while TikTok has an 11% lifetime retention rate. Based on Triller’s reported downloads of 250 million and MAUs of 65 million, Triller’s lifetime retention rate would be 26%—a number that’s hard to believe when compared with those of more popular apps.
Lifetime retention
Triller explains this large difference by pointing to the changes the app has undergone since its launch in 2015, emphasizing that the app didn’t become a social media platform until 2018. According to Triller, lifetime retention isn’t the best indicator and we should instead look at 90- to 120-day retention numbers for TikTok and Snapchat as a comparison.
Successful Campaigns on Triller
Successful Campaigns on Triller
Triller has previously partnered with big brands like Pepsi, McDonald’s, and Dr. Pepper. In 2020, Triller, in collaboration with Pepsi and Rock the Vote, hosted a virtual concert featuring Demi Lovato, Chance the Rapper, Ava Max, Brett Young, Chloe x Halle, and SAINt JHN. The event reportedly generated more than 53 million media engagements.
In the same year, Triller also drove app downloads and online orders for McDonald’s through an in-feed video campaign. On the Triller App, the McDonald’s Celebrity Tray video featuring Jay Balvin generated over 96 million views. McDonald’s attribution partner also revealed a 13% CTR to the app store during the campaign period.
Another successful campaign on Triller was the Dr. Pepper Zero Sugar x ZERO-G where 20 influencers and artists were invited to share their ZERO-G experiences on Triller and Instagram. Adam Waheed, Jimmy Scott Jr., and other creators generated a total of 19.2 million social views and 57 million media impressions.
Other influencers, creators, and brands can benefit from Triller’s user base. Brands can place programmatic ads that are shown between short-form videos, cross-promote their marketing campaigns on their Triller channel, or partner with Triller influencers for Triller challenges and content.
Influencers and creators can build their fanbase as the Triller App evolves into a social video platform where they can freely interact with their followers. A new “tip” feature will also make it possible for them to monetize their content by getting rewards directly from their viewers. Aside from this, they can also partner with brands and advertisers for incentivized campaigns.
Future Outlook
Triller is making its name heard again as it implements internal changes and capitalizes on external opportunities. If all goes well, the future of the company is bright as it positions itself as an AI-driven social video platform with a focus on content generation for global audiences. With mergers and acquisitions adding technology-driven wealth management and financial services to its offerings, Triller is expected to have an impact beyond entertainment and gaming.
Impact of the TikTok Ban
In April 2024, President Biden signed a law that would ban TikTok unless it divests from ByteDance. If ByteDance does not sell its stake on TikTok within 9 months, the app will be shut down across all US states and territories. However, TikTok is still contesting the legality of this law, claiming that it suppresses free speech. Pending the final resolution of the case, the TikTok ban in the U.S. is set to take effect in mid-January 2025.
Although TikTok is still bent on exhausting all legal measures to maintain its operations in the United States, Triller can capitalize on this opportunity and attract disaffected users. By setting itself as the best alternative to TikTok, Triller can provide a stable and secure video-sharing platform for content creators, social media users, and brands. However, it must enhance its features and expand its capabilities to create seamless user experiences for all its users.
The AGBA-Triller Merger
AGBA Group Holding Limited officially announced the merger agreement between AGBA and Triller Corp in April 2024. Just this September, it announced the shareholders’ approval of key proposals including the domestication of AGBA in Delaware, the stock split, and the release of new preferred shares. This merger is expected to have a significant impact on the growth of Triller as it positions itself as a key player in the content distribution sector.
With this merger, Triller’s AI-driven social video platform gains access to machine-learning technologies used by AGBA for its tech, financial, and healthcare offerings. As it expands its capabilities, Triller can diversify its services beyond entertainment and social media. The use of complementary technologies can also help enhance user engagement and monetization opportunities on the Triller app. All these changes are expected to attract new users and widen Triller’s customer base.
Triller Live Now
Triller Inc. has been offering entertainment and sports aficionados 24/7 access to shows and games through TrillerTV. The platform enables users to stream their favorite sports live, watch replays, or view specials any time they want. However, most content is on soccer, basketball, football, boxing, MMA, and other sports.
Soon, Triller users will be able to watch more diverse types of content directly on the Triller App. Live Now, a new app feature that’s set to be launched soon will allow content creators to go live and interact with their viewers on the app. This new offering is expected to attract more app users and increase engagement on the platform.
Triller Live
Legal Battles and Other Issues
While the outlook for Triller is generally positive, its reputation is still tainted by controversial issues and legal disputes that may drive users to other TikTok alternatives. Here are some of the issues Triller is currently facing.
Battle over Numbers with Apptopia
Triller has become secretive with its data since its numbers were questioned by Apptopia. After it claimed to have a total of 250 million downloads in 2020, Apptopia released a report that estimated the actual downloads to be just around 52 million—a staggering 80% lower than what Triller claimed. Apptopia withdrew their report after Triller filed a lawsuit against them.
Triller’s data came into question again when Billboard reported that Triller was inflating its figures. Since then, Triller has stopped sharing data on monthly and daily active users and other similar KPIs.
Copyright Infringement Against Sony Music
After the numbers fiasco, Triller received another blow to its reputation when it got sued by Sony Music Entertainment for breach of contract and copyright infringement. Both companies signed a content distribution agreement in 2016, but Triller was unable to meet its payment obligations from March to November 2022.
Aside from neglecting to fulfill payment obligations, the suit also accused Triller of engaging in extensive copyright infringement by streaming over 50 titles of Sony’s music without authorization. Triller confirmed its inability to pay Sony but agreed to pay $4.57 million for alleged breaches of contract.
In August 2023, Triller and Sony Music agreed to a settlement—the terms of which remain undisclosed. This terminated the case without prejudice and prevented any future re-filing of the case.
Unpaid Licensing Fees for Universal Music Group
Triller faced another lawsuit from another global music company. In January 2023, the Universal Music Group sued Triller for failing to pay licensing fees and submitting quarterly usage reports for three consecutive quarters. In December 2023, Santa Monica Superior Court Judge Mark Epstein ordered Triller to pay more than $2 million to UMG for breach of contract after it failed to pay licensing fees.
Triller IPO Withdrawn After AGBA-Triller Merger
In spite of all the legal issues, Triller filed to go public in August 2023. In its S-1 filing with the SEC, Triller described itself as an AI-powered tech platform focused on short-form videos. It reported that its revenue growth is mostly driven by its acquisitions.
However, Triller eventually withdrew its S-1 registration statement in May 2024 after the approval of the AGBA-Triller merger. With the negative perception it has been receiving, the merger seems to be a strategic move as it provides the company financial stability and access to AGBA’s established capital and resources. Unlike an IPO, which would expose Triller to public scrutiny, the merger helps shield the company from intense scrutiny and minimizes the potential impact of its unresolved legal challenges on its growth.
Tuning Up for Success
With the potential TikTok ban looming, Triller is at a critical juncture. It now has an opportunity to capture a chunk of the huge market share that TikTok holds. However, it must make an effort to strike the right chord with users.
While the company is already ramping up campaigns to boost its online visibility and has strengthened its capabilities through recent mergers and acquisitions, it must offer much more than what TikTok provides to reach comparable levels of popularity.
