Facebook’s internal R&D group, NPE Team, is rolling out yet another new app called Collab after having just launched a new group audio calling app catchup, on Tuesday.
The emphasis has now returned to video with Collab, and specifically the idea of viewing, mixing and combining original videos together, beginning with the music.
In Collab, creators can either record their own musical arrangement or swipe to discover arrangements for creating a composition, or a “collab.”
Although there are several elements of TikTok’s duets in this concept, the difference is that all the videos uploaded to Collab can be mixed and matched with others.
Meanwhile, TikTok helps writers to monitor who is able to duet with them.
For the time being, Collab is only designed to make original music videos that set it apart from other video apps – including TikTok, Dubsmash, Triller, and more – that have users who create music content from popular songs available through an in-app catalog.
While based on music, in order to publish to Collab you don’t automatically have to be a talented musician.
You may participate by doing something simple – such as banging on a xylophone of a boy, beating a tambourine, pulling on a tape reel, tapping on a glass bottle, or even just tapping your foot.
Musicians would then use that video to create their “collab” alongside their own content.
The collabs can only be up to 15 seconds long because this is not meant to be a serious forum for music production, but instead, one that is used for fun and experimentation.
Collab is available as an invite-only beta on iOS in the U.S. and Canada.