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Neptuneis one of the newest short - form TV apps on the block endeavor to compete with major player like TikTok , Instagram Reels , and YouTube Shorts .
The app , presently in beta , has attracted attention from hundred of thousands of users , with 970 testers participating and 400,000 multitude on the waitlist , per the company .
Neptune announced Monday that it ’s ready to launch the app on the App Store next week , with plans to twine out on the Google Play Store in about six month .
The startup was found by Ashley Darling , who has a background knowledge as a endowment theater director at the OPTYX agency , where she worked with “ underestimated ” influencers . She set out to develop a chopine that accent creativity instead of the number of follower a creator has .
“ I spend years ferment with independent creators , both as an influencer myself and later helping brands , ” Darling shared with TechCrunch . “ I kept hearing the same affair from Maker and users , ‘ I overleap when societal media was fun . When it was about creativeness , not competition . ’ So , alternatively of waiting for a political program to listen , I build one . ”
With TikTok ’s future still changeable , Neptune hopes to pull in Jehovah appear for an alternative agency to earn revenue while foster an surroundings that prioritizes the calibre of video and connection instead of follower count . The app plans to offer various revenue streams , include tips , livestreams , and subscription .
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A key distinguishing feature of Neptune is that it lets creators hide their total followers and ilk . This “ ghost metrics ” feature of speech is optional , however , and is designed to help users avoid the pressures associate with follower count , yet still caters to creators who may require to showcase their metric .
According to the company , Neptune ’s algorithm underscore user involvement and depicted object quality rather than Maker popularity . Typically , social media algorithms prioritise content with the highest booking , often leave lesser - know Godhead , or “ micro - influencers , ” at a disadvantage .
“ We put the power back in the hands of [ the creators ] who actually built the internet . Not the potbelly , not the algorithm . Neptune is for connection , not poke , ” principal marketing officer Timur Tugberk said .
Another notable feature of speech is “ Hop Back , ” which allows users to resume watching a telecasting rightfield where they left off , foreclose them from lose their berth when the app refreshes .
Neptune is in genus Beta and does n’t volunteer all of its intended characteristic yet . It ’s presently on the unsubdivided side , providing only a picture feed and a search office . When testing the app , we also noticed it miss in - app editing tools and verbatim electronic messaging .
The company says it ’s work on adding a livestream capability , the power to create playlist , and euphony integration .
