TikTok quietly launches a micro drama app called ‘PineDrama’

TikTok has quietly released a new standalone short drama app called PineDrama in the U.S. and Brazil. The app offers access to micro dramas, which are essentially bite-sized TV shows that can be watched in a series of one-minute episodes. Think TikTok, but every single video you come across is a short episode of a fictional story. PineDrama is available on iOS and Android . It’s free and currently ad-free, though that could change in the future. The news was first reported by Business Insider . You can find content through the app’s “Discover” tab, where you can sort through “All” or “Trending dramas, or through endless vertical recommendations that are tailored to your taste. PineDrama features a variety of genres, including thriller, romance, family, and more. Examples of popular shows include “Love at First Bite” and “The Officer Fell For Me.” The app features a “Watch history” section where you can jump back into the various series you’re watching. There’s also a “Favorites” section where you can save the dramas you like the most. You can also share thoughts with other viewers in the comment section, and enter a full-screen viewing experience that gets rid of the caption and sidebar. Image Credits: TikTok The move comes as TikTok launched a “TikTok Minis” section in its app late last year, where users can watch micro dramas. With the launch of PineDrama, TikTok is taking on popular micro drama platforms like ReelShort and DramaBox. While the micro drama industry wasn’t that popular until recent years, it’s racing toward $26 billion in annual revenue by 2030, as reported by Variety . Join the Disrupt 2026 Waitlist Add yourself to the Disrupt 2026 waitlist to be first in line when Early Bird tickets drop. Past Disrupts have brought Google Cloud, Netflix, Microsoft, Box, Phia, a16z, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Hugging Face, Elad Gil, and Vinod Khosla to the stages - part of 250+ industry leaders driving 200+ sessions built to fuel your growth and sharpen your edge. Plus, meet the hundreds of startups innovating across every sector. Join the Disrupt 2026 Waitlist Add yourself to the Disrupt 2026 waitlist to be first in line when Early Bird tickets drop. Past Disrupts have brought Google Cloud, Netflix, Microsoft, Box, Phia, a16z, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Hugging Face, Elad Gil, and Vinod Khosla to the stages - part of 250+ industry leaders driving 200+ sessions built to fuel your growth and sharpen your edge. Plus, meet the hundreds of startups innovating across every sector. Short-form storytelling hasn’t always found success, even with notable backing. In 2020, DreamWorks co-founder and former Disney executive Jeffrey Katzenberg launched a short-form streaming platform called Quibi with $1.75 billion in funding. The platform offered episodes under 10 minutes featuring popular Hollywood actors, but failed to gain traction and was shut down six months later. ReelShort and DramaBox succeeded where Quibi failed because while Quibi tried to compress Hollywood TV into shorter episodes, ReelShort and DramaBox created low-budget stories that hook viewers within the first...

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