Facebook thinks that mobile videos could be made better by committee, if a new app that the company released today is any indication. Called Riff, it’s a tool that allows iPhone and Android users to create a quick snippet of video and then share it with their friends, who can add more content to the Riff and expand it.
People who add footage to a Riff share the video with their friends, who can then add more footage, potentially increasing its reach exponentially. In addition to all of the creation possibilities, the app also allows people to view popular Riffs from around the world. Interestingly, all of the videos can be shared publicly, which is something of a departure from Facebook’s usual suite of privacy settings.
It all feels very similar to Snapchat’s “Our Story” feature, which brings together posts to its ephemeral messaging app on a particular event or topic. That feature allows people to view snaps from around the world that stem from a wide variety of events, including dog shows and music festivals.
The app is a product of the company’s Creative Labs division, which takes interesting concepts created by Facebook employees that are targeted towards a particular audience and lets them out into the wild. Some of the group’s other apps include Paper, an alternate way for users to browse their News Feed and other news sources; Slingshot, a Snapchat-esque app that encourages people to share photos and Rooms, an app that lets people pseudonymously discuss topics of interest on mobile message boards.
