Byte downloads on Apple App Store and Google Play surpass Vine’s debut

Byte, the long promised successor to Vine, has already eclipsed its predecessor by one key metric.

In its first week on the App Store and Google Play, the app was downloaded more than 1.3 million times, according to analytics firm Sensor Tower. That’s nearly twice as many downloads as Vine received in its first week on the App Store. 

Sensor Tower further notes that the vast majority of Byte’s downloads have so far come from the United States, which accounts for 70 percent of its first-week installs. 

Byte, which is backed by Vine cofounder Dom Hofmann, was released exactly seven years to the day Vine was initially launched. Of course, much has changed since Vine first introduced the looping video concept that launched a thousand memes and propelled some of the internet’s earliest influencers to stardom. 

While the app has been heralded as the second coming of Vine, Byte still has issues it needs to work out. It’s been battling an influx of spammy comments, which Hofmann has said is a “top priority.” 

Byte also has several more established platforms to compete with, including YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. The company will likely need to lure influencers from some of those services to its app if it hopes to recapture the same viral success that endeared Vine to many. 

To help accomplish that, Byte recently revealed details for its partner program, which will allow the app’s most popular users to earn a share of its ad revenue. The company says it plans to share 100 percent of its ad revenue with creators during the initial “pilot period” of the program, which will dole out funds to approved creators based on viewership. 

Byte’s ability to pay influencers could have a lasting impact on whether the app will become a meaningful competitor to TikTok and others, or if it will be a passing fad. TikTok is still in the early stages of experimenting with monetization. And Twitter’s inability to keep Vine’s original stars on the app is regarded as one of the biggest reasons for its downfall.