Introduction of Four Micro-video Services: Is an era of Micro-video coming?

If you have read my introduction two days ago of photo sharing services for mobile phones, just like service provided by Instagram, maybe you will have a question-can we share videos in a similar way? In fact, there have already been such services. The recent launched on-line service called Viddy in App store is said to reach more than 10,000 downloads per day. Does it mean that it is the right time to share micro-videos? I deem that more and more people have started to pay attention to this field.

Micro-video Service

1. Viddy

Viddy, which I have recently been playing, is one of my favorite iPhone applications. I had doubted about the interesting of 15-seconds videos until I started to use Viddy, thanks in part to the contribution of perfect video effects and moving background music. These videos can also be shared to Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Foursquare, and Tumblr.

Client: iPhone

Links: http://viddy.co/

2. Socialcam

If Socialcam application has been installed successfully, you can use your Facebook account to login, which is currently the only way to access. It then displays a list of Facebook friends who have already used it, and asks you whether to watch on them (Socialcam takes in the one-way focus mode like Twitter). It helps people share videos with their friends.

Client: iPhone, Android

Links: http://socialcam.com/

3. Weipai (Formerly known as Guoguo Video)

Guoguo Technology, a new-generation mobile internet company invested by three domestic top investment companies, focuses on software development on iPhone, Android, and other next-generation smart phones and mobile Internet business operations. Formerly known as Guoguo Video, it is now renamed as Weipai.

Client: iPhone, Android

Links: http://guoguo.me/

4. Weiguan

Weiguan is a new live-broadcast-sharing mobile platform launched by ku6.com. It helps users capture and share their favorite videos conveniently in their daily life, by two live-broadcast ways based on either PC cameras or mobile phone clients.

Client: iPhone, Android, Symbian

Links: http://www.weiguan.com/

Summary

1. The success of Instagram has proved that there are still large potential needs of photo sharing in mobile field (This is in part due to mobile terminals’ nonfeasance of photo-sharing websites, such as Flickr). The contents generated by mobile terminals are more close to users’ life and more valuable to be shared.
2. Perfect filter effects, provided by Instagram, let the process of sharing photos become more enjoyable and petit bourgeois. These effects are now introduced to micro-video services, for example, Viddy offers video effects and background music, making short videos very active and interesting.
3. Maybe it is the right time to share micro-videos. There had ever been 12seconds.tv, but later closed, I think, the reason is that the holdings of smart phones at that time didn’t reach an appropriate level like now.
4. Some large video sites, such as ku6.com, have already provided Micro-video services. Other sites like Youku.com, Tudou.com etc. are supposed to offer similar services.
5. Socialized Micro-video is a trend. Compared with abroad, where Facebook and Twitter have become standard of social system, China lacks of a relatively uniformed social network. Sina Weibo may have the opportunity to become that one.
6. The competition in Micro-video field may be more intense in future.

(This post is originally written by Watson Xu in Chinese, translated by Guo Tingting and proofread by Wu Chenchen. )