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Ricardo Aguilar
WriterMobile tech writer and analyst. I studied Psychology, but I've been working in the consumer tech field for the last 10 years. Interested in motor projects and new forms of mobility.
Alba Mora
WriterAn established tech journalist, I entered the world of consumer tech by chance in 2018. In my writing and translating career, I've also covered a diverse range of topics, including entertainment, travel, science, and the economy.
Meta has finally released Edits, a new app focused on short video editing. This long-awaited tool provides an alternative to CapCut, which has had little competition in the market. While free, Edits has fewer features, at least in its initial release. Notably, this launch reflects a strategy Meta has been employing for years: copying to eliminate competition.
Perfect timing. Instagram has had ample opportunity to introduce a video editing app, but it’s chosen now, when it’s most impactful. In mid-January, President Donald Trump banned TikTok and other ByteDance apps, including CapCut.
Although TikTok reappeared in app stores shortly after the ban, CapCut wasn’t reinstated. It’s only now, amid uncertainty regarding the future of Bytedance apps, that Meta has opted to launch Edits.
Meta only cares about content creators. Content creators are the backbone of apps such as Instagram and TikTok.
According to social media experts:
- Nanoinfluencers, with fewer than 10,000 followers, enjoy the highest participation rate (5%).
- Microinfluencers, with followers ranging from 10,000 to 100,000, have a participation rate of 4%.
- Macroinfluencers, with more than 100,000 followers, boast a participation rate of 7%.
Understanding these figures is crucial because these platforms’ business model relies heavily on many users consuming content (and advertisements). However, only a small number are creating that content.
Meta wants to draw creators. CapCut is currently the third most downloaded app on iOS globally, with nine million downloads. It’s also ninth on Android, totaling 18 million downloads. In total, it has 27 million users. This makes it the seventh most popular app worldwide, surpassing Telegram, Snapchat, and Threads. These are impressive statistics for a video editing app.
Instagram has specifically enhanced its Edits tool to ensure that videos uploaded from this app maintain the highest quality. Additionally, it’s integrated creator analytics within Edits, providing creators with direct access to performance dashboards, much like TikTok does with TikTok Studio. This is a clear signal to creators, encouraging them to move away from ByteDance’s tools and focus on Meta’s offerings.
Copying the competition. One thing Meta excels at is copying successful features. In 2016, it introduced Instagram Stories. It was a direct replication of Snapchat, but incorporated within an app that offered many more features. Instagram Stories quickly surpassed Snapchat in daily active users. It also became one of the primary monetization tools for the platform, with an advertisement displayed approximately every three stories.
Meta also tried to copy TikTok, although Instagram Reels hasn’t captured a significant user base. However, Meta capitalized on the opportunity by emulating a successful and emerging idea: short-format videos. They also became a new monetization tool.
A golden opportunity. Instagram is currently TikTok’s only real competitor. If TikTok fails to maintain its presence in the U.S., it would result in a substantial loss for the platform. In the end, the U.S. is its second-largest market after China. You shouldn’t be surprised if Meta, as usual, starts rolling out features and tools that have already proven successful on its rival platform.
Image | Meta/Xataka
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