snap announces story studio, a new standalone app to edit stories

Snap Unveils Story Studio: A Dedicated App for Content Creators

At the recent Snap Partner Summit, Snap Inc. revealed a novel application specifically designed to empower content creators. This new, independent iOS application, called Story Studio, provides a comprehensive suite of editing functionalities to elevate the professional quality of user-generated content.

Snapchat Editing Remains Unchanged

The core story editing experience within Snapchat itself will remain consistent; no alterations are being made to the existing platform. However, creators actively contributing to Spotlight – Snap’s short-form video feed – or those with a significant presence on the platform may benefit from more advanced editing capabilities.

Currently, many creators opt to utilize computer-based software for more intricate editing tasks. Snap recognizes this need and is addressing it with a mobile-first solution.

Mobile-First Editing with Seamless Integration

While several robust video editing applications are already available for mobile devices, Snap’s offering is designed for optimal compatibility and integration with Snapchat’s ecosystem. This ensures a streamlined workflow for creators.

Story Studio provides real-time insights into trending content on Snapchat, including popular sounds, topics, and lenses. This feature facilitates the remixing of viral content and allows creators to contribute their unique perspectives to current internet trends.

Advanced Editing Features

Snap highlights that Story Studio enables precise video trimming, down to the individual frame. Users can also enrich their videos with captions, stickers, and a variety of other visual enhancements.

Furthermore, the app grants access to Snap’s extensive library of licensed music, allowing creators to incorporate professional-quality audio into their projects.

Recognizing the iterative nature of content creation, Story Studio supports project saving, enabling creators to resume editing sessions at their convenience.

Sharing and Export Options

Upon completion, videos created within Story Studio can be directly shared to Snapchat, supporting both Stories and Spotlight posts. However, the app’s functionality extends beyond the Snapchat platform.

Users also have the option to save their creations to their device’s camera roll or export them to other applications installed on their phone, broadening the scope of content distribution.

Availability

The launch of Story Studio is scheduled for later this year. Initially, the application will be exclusively available for iOS users.

Supporting Your Preferred Snapchat Creators

Snapchat, initially designed for personal messaging, is now actively focused on attracting and empowering content creators with robust tools and revenue-generating opportunities. The competition to win over creators is fierce among social media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, YouTube – particularly with YouTube Shorts – and Snapchat itself.

Snapchat’s short-form video feature, Spotlight, has demonstrated considerable success. Currently, Spotlight boasts 125 million monthly active users. Daily engagement, defined as users watching at least 10 minutes of Spotlight content, has increased by 70% from January to March.

Spotlight Now Accessible Via Web Browser

Alongside the Story Studio enhancements, Snap is introducing a dedicated web platform for Spotlight. This allows users to view Spotlight videos directly through a web browser on their desktop computers, without needing to open the Snapchat application. This expansion could potentially draw in a wider audience to the Snapchat ecosystem.

This web-based access is particularly beneficial for creators, as it enables video uploads to Spotlight directly from browsers like Chrome and Safari.

Snapchat has already invested significantly in creator monetization. Currently, $1 million is distributed daily to top Spotlight creators – a total of $130 million has been awarded to 5,400 creators since November 2020. This daily distribution will conclude on June 1st, transitioning to monthly million-dollar allocations.

Introducing Snap Tokens for Direct Gifting

Creators will soon have a new avenue for monetization: direct gifting from fans. Snapchat users will be able to purchase Snap Tokens when responding to Stories and send them as gifts to their favorite creators. These tokens represent virtual items with tangible monetary value.

The specifics of revenue sharing between Snap and creators have not yet been disclosed. This gifting feature is scheduled for release on both Android and iOS platforms later this year.

• Spotlight Monthly Active Users: 125 million
• Daily Spotlight Engagement Growth (Jan-Mar): 70%
• Total Creator Earnings (Nov 2020 - Present): $130 million
• Number of Creators Earned From: 5,400