Zee5 Launches HiPi, Another TikTok Clone but with a Twist

Zee5 is a video streaming app from the house of Zee media and is one of the Indian streaming services like Hotstar and Voot. Zee5 has now launched a new short-video making service on its own app called HiPi. HiPi is a TikTok alternative but the difference here is that unlike other apps like Roposo, TakaTak, and many others HiPi is a part of the Zee5 app. This type of implementation has not been done before. A merging of two different types of content on one platform also lets users get more exposure to an audience that is already watching content on Zee5. It will also let new users come to the Zee5 app in search of content creators of HiPi.

If you haven't got access to HiPi on ZEE5 yet, don’t worry! Jald hi HiPi beta sabke liye available ho raha hai! Keep the excitement going! pic.twitter.com/3ME0NR37Eb

— Hipi (@HipiOfficialApp) August 16, 2020

Rajneel Kumar, Business Head – Expansion Projects and Head of Products, ZEE5 India said “At Zee5, from the very inception, we always wanted to become a Super app. Over the last two and a half years, we have launched content from televisions, originals shows, live news, live TV, categories (kids, music videos, food), hypo casual gaming platform called the play, and more as part of the journey to be a Super app.”

Kumar also said that HiPi is not the result of TikTok but was planned. “The timing is just coincidental and has nothing to do with the ban..a product of this magnitude can’t be built overnight and put out,” Kumar highlighted. Reasoning why HiPi is a part of the ZEE5 platform and not a separate app Kumar said, “because the app already has 80 million active users and that will help in HiPi’s growth.”

HiPi does have one advantage that many other similar TikTok styled apps don't and that is an audience. Having an audience base guarantees new content creators views and exposure on the Zee5 platform. Another feature of HiPi is that neither the content creators or the audience have to buy a subscription plan of Zee5 to watch or make videos on HiPi. HiPi will be completely free on Zee5 which will let the app get more viewers in the long term and content creators more views as well.