With the idea to provide an opportunity for content creators to earn a profit, '60 Seconds?'-a micro-video platform has announced its launch in India. The app allows users to record, discover, and share one minute, short-format videos.
60 Seconds? has been developed in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Atmanirbhar focus by a team of developers from Code For India, who claims this to be an infotainment platform that separates it from the others who only focus on entertainment. It is an India-US tech organisation with the mission to "Think Local, Hack Global" for building tech platforms on a large scale. Code For India is one of the fastest-growing tech communities in the world.
The app also allows creators to enjoy full ownership and control of their videos, which they can download anytime they want. The AI-powered app will find out about the user preference based on their interest and usage pattern and show up videos which align with their interests. This will increase their viewing interest and continued usage. Helping creators earn money, the app has a point-based system which tabulates the points earned by the users in terms of the quality of the content (likes, comments, shares and followers), which helps them earn money.
"Video-based content is becoming the most preferred viewing format in India, and with the imminent arrival of 5G and massive bandwidth, 60Seconds App is well-placed to cater to this boom. We see an increasing trend among people who prefer recommended content over searching for content on their own. So, we have come up with an artificial intelligence-powered personalization mechanism that shows high-interest videos that are engaging for the viewers," says Kiruba Shankar, Co-founder and President, 60 Seconds?.
Commenting on the competition from home-grown short video apps, the company says, "it's a very wide field and ample scope for a quality short video platform to make a mark. Video as a content form will continue to see a hockey stick growth. With smartphones getting higher quality cameras, bigger storage and faster internet connectivity, video production and consumption will see a huge surge. That's why there are a wide playing field and ample opportunity to garner a good user base."
"Our prime focus would be to have strict content moderation rules in place that ensure that the quality of the content is always high, and any inappropriate and unpleasant videos are quickly weeded out," adds Shankar.
60 Seconds? expects to clock in about half a million users in the next few months. To onboard creators, the company is active on both organic and paid platforms to reach out to content creators and consumers. Coming from a strong digital background, it will use its expertise in the digital and social media space to reach out to a wide userbase.
According to 60 Seconds? all the data is stored on servers in India and the US with the highest security standards.
With the idea to create an impact on the environment, 60 Seconds? has pledged to plant one tree for every video that receives 100 likes. For this, 60 Seconds? is creating timber forest at a village called Rettanai in rural Tamilnadu. "We are planting saplings for each user joining our platform. It's our small way to form a community and contribute at the same time," adds Shankar.
Going forward, 60 Seconds? has plans to introduce features such as in-app editing, music soundtrack, filters, and special effects, in addition to the implementation of monetisation tools that offer in-app currency for creators to earn. The app is already available for download on Apple App Store and Google's Play Store.
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