Do you remember Vine? – the now defunct six-second video sharing platform that helped launch the careers of OG Maco and Bobby Shmurda? Fast forward to today, and the question is: has Triller got the same power to propel one to online stardom?
The quick answer is yes – Thriller even introduced a monetization feature in mid-2018, allowing creators to raise funds from music labels, fans, and brands. But first things first, you need to know how to use your own music before it’s off to the Webbies Awards.
Producing 100% Original Video on Triller
Using your own music to make a Triller video is simple. For the purposes of this article, we’ve used an iPhone, but the same methods apply to Android devices.
First, you need to upload the music to a Cloud or save it locally on your phone. You can use Cloud services, file management apps, or the Files app on the iPhone.
The important thing is that the source app allows you to export to or open the music file with Triller. This tutorial uses Google Drive and the actions are the same with Dropbox and iCloud.
Neat Trick: Did you know that you can save music to Notes on an iPhone? This is also a quick way to upload original music to Triller, but we’ll cover that later.
Uploading Your Own Music to Triller
Step 1
Launch the Google Drive app, hit the search bar at the top of the screen, and select Audio from the drop-down menu. You can also go to Recents, if you’ve just uploaded the score to the Drive.
Browse the list for the audio file you’d like to use and tap on the three horizontal dots next to the file to access the more menu.
Step 2
Swipe up the pop-up window until you reach “Open in” and tap on it to choose the destination app. If you’re using this method for the first time, Triller might not appear under default app suggestions.
It’ll take a few seconds to prepare the file for export. You then swipe to the left and choose the More option.
Swipe down the list of suggested apps and select “Copy to Triller”. In a few seconds, your music gets uploaded to the app and you’re automatically taken to the “Trim Audio” window.
Tips for Trimming the Audio
The entire song or music gets uploaded and you get to choose a 30- or two-second interval for your video. By default, the interval is set to 30 seconds. You can change it by tapping on the pencil icon under the song’s waveform.
One limitation is that there’s no way to pinch the interval and choose a custom timing. You’re stuck with two or 30 seconds and it might be tricky to revert from one option to another. However, this might not apply when using the music featured on Triller.
Nevertheless, it’s easy to choose a particular section of the score by moving the waveform box left or right. Once you locate the sweet spot, hit “Film” in the upper right corner of the window and get ready to shoot.
Expert Tricks: Count beats to zero in on the beginning of your audio. This way your video looks and sounds smoother. Tap the play button before you start selecting the music section you’d like to use. The music stops playing when you move the waveform box and automatically starts when you stop.
Using the Notes App
As of recently, the Notes app is capable of receiving different file formats, including audio such as mp3 or WAV. You can upload music to Notes via Cloud services and file management apps. But the great thing is that another iPhone user can share the score with you directly to Notes.
Once you have the music in Notes, press and hold on the file to bring up the more menu. Albeit being super user-friendly, the action automatically initiates music playback, which can be a bit annoying. The only way to stop this is to turn off the volume on your phone.
Hit share, tap the carousel menu in the middle of the screen, and swipe all the way to the left to reach the More icon. Again, you swipe for “Copy to Triller” and the music gets uploaded to the app.
Video Recording Tips
Depending on the type and tempo of your music, you may want to record everything in one go or shoot, let’s say, three takes. If the song is slower, it might be better to do one take. But why is this so?
Triller’s auto-editing software cuts the video into smaller clips as it aims to single out all the highlights. A single 30-second video might have three cuts, making it a bit slower. But a video that contains three or more takes, might have seven or more cuts, which make it kind of snappy.
And the Emmy Award Goes to…
Triller made it easy to use your own music for a reason. The main idea behind the platform is to attract a bunch of creative people and offer content that would rival Dubsmash and TikTok.
What kind of music do you make? Have you recorded your own music video before? Tell us more about your experiences in the comments section below.
