TikTok keeps leaning into information discovery

TikTok releasing a brand new feature? How BRAT of them.

The social media platform recently partnered with Hollywood studios including Warner Bros. to roll out TikTok Spotlight, which enables its users to track fast-moving, entertainment-focused trends – and film and television studios to capitalize on them.

It’s giving search engine of the future. The new feature adds an anchor link to applicable videos about current movies and TV shows that directs viewers to a dedicated landing page👆.

Here, TikTok viewers can find details about the film or show such as synopsis, cast, verified accounts, as well as a collection of other TikToks linked to the same title, allowing fans to explore the unique fandom and trends around the show or movie.

Spotlight aims to help both social media creators and filmmakers alike (very demure). Creators who post content about or involving spotlighted media can achieve unique profile badges and frames for their TikTok profiles, while film studios are able to track trends and conversations about their content in real-time, thanks to the accompanying analytics dashboard provided to them.

📸 Big picture: This new feature pushes TikTok towards becoming a first stop for media-focused discovery, even ahead of Google, with whom it has a growing rivalry. According to an Adobe report published in January, ~40% of Americans use TikTok as a search engine, with one in 10 Gen Zers relying on it more than Google.

+Dive deeper: How the legal battle over TikTok’s future is progressing – and how Google Search's antitrust case may end up playing out.