The Reddit logo will be displayed on the smartphone.
Mattus Slotkovsky | Sofa pictures | Lightrocket via Getty Images
Reddit has acquired Tapsmash, a short video app, and is entering a congested market dominated by Chinese company Dictok.
The financial terms of the agreement – which are based on a combination of cash and shares – have not been released.
The American social media company is often known to users for its online forums, where users post text, links and some interest-related media.
Reddit has been trying to update in recent years, redesigning its site to keep up to date with trends on popular sites like Facebook and Twitter.
Now, as video apps have become especially popular among younger audiences, Reddit is developing a play to expand its presence in the fast-growing segment.
In a blog post late Sunday, Reddit said Tapsmash will maintain its own site and brand, although Rapid will look to integrate Tapsmash’s video-making tools.
Tapsmash, installed in Germany in 2014, allows users to record audio dubbed videos from songs, movies and TV shows, similar to Dicto.
Reddit described Tapsmash as “a welcome site for creators and users who are not represented on social media.”
According to Reddit, Tapsmash is used by all black teens in the United States, while 70% of users are women.
“Both Reddit and Tapsmash share a deep-rooted respect for how communities come together,” said Reddit CEO Steve Huffman.
“Tapsmash elevates less representative creators, while fostering a sense of the Reddit community and covering thousands of different topics and interests.”
The company has announced that the entire team of Tapsmash will be joined by co-founders Sucid Dash, Jonas Troop, and Tim Spect.
It’s been a tumultuous year for Dictok, which has faced the prospect of splitting from Chinese parent company Bite Dance due to U.S. national security concerns.
Other social apps like Facebook’s Instagram and Google’s YouTube tried to provide competing services. Instagram launched its Dictoc competitor Reels in the summer, while YouTube recently released a feature called YouTube Shorts in India.