New Social Media App Lets Teens Post Videos in a Chain, Blows Past Apple's Limits

SAN JOSE, Calif., May 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Chain is a fun new iPhone app that lets you create and share a collection of 1-minute video clips, or Chains, about any topic that both you and your friends can add to with video responses of your own. Chain is creating new levels of online interactivity, collaboration, and fun!

Chain received almost 6,000 beta signups in just two weeks -- far exceeding the 2,000 limit set by Apple. Now fully launched, Chain is defining a brand new way to share and communicate with friends and fans, and is even inventing new ways for charities and nonprofits to build support for their causes using the app. They also plan to set the Guinness World Record for the longest online video campaign.

Chain is the latest example of how video has become the king of content. Mobile video will constitute about 80% of all internet traffic by 2019, according to Cisco. People are viewing 8 billion videos per day on Facebook alone and that number is growing. Marketers are recognizing that video -- especially mobile video -- has emerged as the medium of choice for consumers. Chain brings a unique format and experience to mobile video -- one where the initial video posting is only the beginning and reactions/follow-ups are visual, funny, and engaging; one where videos are organized, easy to share, and available in one single place.

Chain provides everybody an equal voice in a conversation. Unlike today's content cycle where one person posts a video and everyone else simply comments and/or likes, all participants in a Chain can express their passions, perspectives, and points-of-view equally. Chains can be public or private, creating either an intimate discussion among friends and family, or a worldwide chat with your fans and followers. Creating and sharing a Chain takes less than 30 seconds. Currently, the app allows original content videos and animated GIFs to be added to a Chain, but the company plans to allow adding YouTube clips in the future.

Whether you're discussing a presidential debate, sending spooky Halloween videos to friends and family across the world and getting their video reactions in response, sharing your daughter's first day of school with family, polling friends about your next concert or adventure, or if you are a college student compiling videos from a party or tailgate, Chain offers something for everyone!

Srinivas "Srini" Rao is the Founder and CEO of Chain. Originally from India, Srini came to the US when he was 19 to study computer science at Arizona State University. He has been working in the Bay Area since the early 2000s for both startups and big companies.

On his reason for creating Chain, Srini says: "My wife and I were having a tough time managing and sharing videos we took of our precocious 2-year-old daughter -- videos that our families in the US and India wanted to watch. The videos were stored and shared all over the place. People's reactions to the videos, comments, etc were also scattered. I felt we needed a single place to share those videos where all of us could watch, add, and share seamlessly."

"One of my favorite Chains is of my daughter's first day of school. Both my wife and I added clips to that Chain and our families in the US and India enjoyed getting the live updates. Now, whenever I want to relive those moments, I know where to go to."

Chain is free to download. The company plans to monetize the app through sponsored Chains or clip inserts in popular Chains from creators, likely local stores and brands that want to engage with their customers -- while still maintaining the interactive and collaborative essence of a Chain. They also plan to add in-app purchases to benefit charities and nonprofits.

Download the Chain iPhone app here. For more information about this story, contact:

Srinivas Rao, Founder & CEO
Chain
[email protected]
408-838-6932

SOURCE Chain