The virality of Dubsmash

Unless you are a sad hermit living under a lonely rock with no WiFi (or a calendar), you will know that in the world of social media, 2015 and now 2016, can be said to be the year of Dubsmash.

This viral sensation (or plague - you can be the judge of that) is an app that allows you to create 10-second ‘velfies’ (video selfies) dubbed with sounds from an array of audios, ranging from some of the most famous movie dialogues of all time, all the way to annoying restaurant jingles. The app was founded in Germany and since its release in November 2014, Dubsmash has been downloaded a staggering 20 million times plus across 129 countries, reaching the top spot on iOS in 30 of them. It has in just over a year made space for itself among social media giants such as Instagram and Vine.

The app is brilliantly straightforward. Just pick a sound, record a video lip-syncing to the audio, and share. The result – Dubsmash masterpieces desperately waiting to go viral.

Facebook and Instagram feeds have been overflowing with Dubsmash videos – although (more often than not) these are poorly synchronised, migraine-inducing attempts that make you want to smash in your computer screen. Why so? Because human beings are annoying and they have to ruin everything. A little nugget of wisdom: next time you plan on lip-syncing to Shakira’s ‘Hips Don’t Lie’, at least look up the lyrics. Having said this, Dubsmash videos can be pretty cool and recording your own can be a really enjoyable and incredibly addicting way to pass the time.

Since its release, the app has garnered worldwide recognition and has developed a huge fan base. Celebrities too have embraced the app with open arms. Their Instagrams are flooded with Dubsmash videos. From Cara Delevigne, Kevin Hart and Lena Dunham to Ranveer Singh and Salman Khan and Uzair Jaswal, Osman Khalid Butt, Humaima Malik and Ali Zafar, they are all busy firing dub after dub to keep their fans entertained.

Dubsmash is also a great marketing tool. Rihanna used it to give an exclusive preview of her un-released single. Fast food chains, Wendy’s (India) and McDonalds (Malaysia) also jumped onto the Dubsmash bandwagon with their advertising campaigns. McDonald’s offered a free Big Mac to whoever made the best video of them lip-syncing to the McDonald’s jingle. Wendy’s ran a similar campaign, with the videos which garnered the most ‘likes’ on Facebook winning free meals. These ad campaigns proved many things: the popularity of Dubsmash, the success of campaigns that use of the app – and most importantly the fact that people will do almost anything for a free sandwich (add fries and they will really lose their minds).

Movies and Dubsmash are a match made in social media heaven; for example Universal Studios used Dubsmash to promote Fast 7 – fans were asked to film videos of themselves, lip-syncing to dialogues from the movie. Ho Mann Jahaan, starring Mahira Khan has used the app to encourage fans to make videos of them grooving to Asrar’s ‘Shakar Wandaan Rey’ – and in the process have made the song go viral. Celebrities such as Ali Azmat, Javed Shaikh and even Anwar Maqsood uploaded videos of them shaking a leg to the song, adding to the growing hype about the film.

So, what has contributed to Dubsmash’s fame?

Firstly, the sheer simplicity of the app is a stroke of genius. The interface is clean and offers a clear set of instructions. Just pick, point, record, share on social media.

Secondly, is the exhaustive collection of audios. The Dubsmash sound library is huge and has the added option of letting you upload your own sounds through the ‘Dubloader’. You will find almost any sound that is even remotely popular in the collection and with the option to choose the language you want there is something for everyone. Looking for that Pushto song that the Pathan riksha-wala kept playing on repeat? Chances are you will find it on Dubsmash. (Everyone wants to go viral and Dubsmash allows users a shot at gaining their five-seconds of fame. With Dubsmash, even your cousin Pappu can become internet famous – for like, a day.)

Thirdly, it’s just plain fun to use. It’s a fresh idea and gives people the opportunity to be creative and enjoy in a cool new way.

Although Dubsmash continues to reign supreme in the social media world (along with a handful of other apps), the fact that there is an extensive collection of audio clips from different sources (and none of them licensed), copyright concerns may threaten the app. However, so far the Dubsmash fever is refusing to settle.