Move over YouTube Studio: there’s another video creator platform in town. TikTok has launched a brand-new companion app, TikTok Studio — and it comes with some handy dandy new features.
TikTok Studio is an overhauled version of ‘Creator tools’ within the TikTok app and the Creator Center web app, and bears a striking resemblance to YouTube Studio.
Think of it as a creator control room — like a backstage area where you can edit content, monitor post-performance, check in on monetization, and more.
Before you ask, yes — you can do a lot of this within TikTok itself. But there are a few extra helpful features that you’ll not find elsewhere.
It’s also pretty neat having all these tools in a separate app, if, like me, you tend to get distracted by your For You Page when you attempt to open TikTok to check in on content performance.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through this must-try new tool for creators and brands and share how to find all the hidden gems TikTok Studio offers to help you grow on TikTok.
What is TikTok Studio?
The TikTok studio app — downloaded separately from TikTok — is a one-stop shop for creators looking to grow on the platform and monetize their content.
Not to be confused with TikTok LIVE Studio, TikTok’s desktop streaming platform, there are three ways to access TikTok Studio:
- Download the TikTok Studio app on the Apple or Android app stores
- Head over to tiktok.com/tiktokstudio in your desktop browser
- Within the TikTok app itself. Tap ‘Profile’ on the bottom right corner of the screen, then TikTok Studio under your bio.
Wait, if I can get all this on the TikTok app, why do I need the TikTok Studio app? Good question. According to TikTok, the Studio app has a bit of an edge on the version available within the regular TikTok app.
“The TikTok Studio provides creators with access to enhanced web analytics, bulk upload, and feedback; offers more advanced management and control capabilities, and helps to better solve advanced user needs.”
Plus, as I mentioned above, it’s helpful not to be within the TikTok app itself if you’re in content creation mode — no FYP distractions! If you fancied it, you could actually create and manage all your content in TikTok Studio, and have no need for the TikTok app itself.
How to use TikTok Studio
How to edit photos, auto-cut videos, and film
Right at the top of the ‘Overview’ tab, you’ll find three buttons that open an editing suite just like you’ll find within the TikTok app itself: ‘Photo editor,’ ‘AutoCut,’ and ‘Camera.’
You’ll also be able to access all these tools, along with your drafts, by tapping the ‘Create’ button at the bottom of the app.
Anything created with these tools can be posted directly to TikTok — no need to download and reupload within the TikTok app itself. A nifty feature here is that any drafts you create within TikTok Studio won’t be visible to you on your feed, as they are within the TikTok app. No more drafts clogging up your profile page view!
Photo editor
Photo editor is where you can create TikTok carousels or covers for your videos. In this simple interface, you can crop, resize, add text to, or apply a filter to a photo.
Autocut
Autocut is a bare-bones video editor, that allows users to upload clips and have TikTok Studio stitch them together according to a handful of templates, which add transitions and effects to the finished product based on a selection of TikTok trending audio.
Camera
The Camera button opens a replica of TikTok’s ‘Create’ window. Here, you can do everything you would usually do in TikTok: create videos, use filters, find trending sounds, edit videos, post Stories, and more.
How to find inspiration
Scroll down within the Overview (or 'Home') tab to find some useful inspiration for your next post, including Trending posts (which you can filter down by topic and location), and Recommended. The latter is particularly helpful for niched-down TikTokers who want a better sense of content that is already resonating with their target audience.
Here, you’ll be able to scroll through a selection of high-performing posts TikTok has classified to be similar to your own, other posts viewed by your followers, and an overview of similar creators.
How to analyze your content performance
In my opinion, this is where TikTok Studio really shines. You’ll find all the analytics offered within the primary TikTok app and then some, all arranged within a single dashboard.
Within the ‘Analytics’ tab, you’ll find:
Overview
A bird’s-eye view of your content performance over a specific time period (7 days, 28 days, 60 days, or custom).
Content