YouTube vs. TikTok Rivalry What is the outcome?

Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change. - Confucius

A recent study comparing the user bases of YouTube and TikTok was released by Touchstorm, a well-known video marketing company, and VideoAmigo, a SaaS analytics platform. In three crucial categories—global unique active users, U.S. unique active users, and mobile app users—youtube's audience dwarfs that of tik tok, according to data from reliable audience measurement sources.

The paper estimates that 48% of people who are online each month use YouTube, while 20% use TikTok. In comparison to TikTok, YouTube now has 2.3 times as many unique active users worldwide.

Each of the two is adversely affected globally: TikTok is prohibited in India, while TikTok is prohibited in China. A global comparison is possible because both nations have 1.4 billion people. The focus of the paper is the United States, where this gap is comparable. Nearly the same as it is globally, YouTube has a 2X advantage over TikTok in the United States.

Looking at mobile alone, plenty of reporters have called TikTok the "Most Downloaded App of the Year." However, there's an obvious flaw in this statistic, but no published article acknowledges it. YouTube comes pre-installed on Android. So, 71% of mobile users in the world do not need to download YouTube. On iOS, TikTok trails slightly behind YouTube. The paper compares mobile app usage and concludes that YouTube's 2023 Mobile Audience is 2X TikTok's.

"As the U.S. contemplates a potential TikTok ban, several articles have surfaced touting huge TikTok audience numbers. Multiple reports assert that TikTok is now far larger than YouTube. Marketers are echoing that idea in everyday conversations. But is it true? Who's bigger? We've conducted an in-depth research study that reveals the truth," said Alison Provost, founder and CEO of Touchstorm.

The research paper is part of Touchstorm's ongoing efforts to provide valuable insights and data-driven solutions to its clients and partners in the video marketing community. The "TikTok vs. YouTube: Audience Size Comparison" paper is available for complementary download.

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