TikTok opening live studios in LA for shopping streams

TikTok is opening live studios in Los Angeles and other countries to give creators a place to record their shopping streams and direct viewers to the TikTok shop.

The ByteDance-owned TikTok is opening live studios in multiple cities in the United States to help creators live stream. According to a report from The Information, the company will use these studios for creators hawking goods on live broadcasts and directing viewers to the app’s digital storefront.

The TikTok Shop has given creators the ability to sell goods directly to their viewers through direct links to products being offered either on a video, or a live stream. Creators have set up businesses selling goods they created, like plushies and hand-knitted sweaters, or pitching products supplied directly by manufacturers.

Creators that use TikTok Live to sell items usually do so in their homes or a separate studio. They often try out the items, whether that means putting on jeans to showcase how they look, demonstrating how a product works, or pulling trading cards out of a pack in real-time.

TikTok LA studios on the horizon

The studios are reportedly able to support dozens of creators at a time and feature professional cameras and lighting similar to the Home Shopping Network. However, instead of calling in or using a browser to buy products, viewers can click a link or swipe over to the shopping tab.

The social media company added an online retail section to its app in the summer of 2023 and reportedly lost more than $500 million on the endeavor.

The company is supposedly trying to create a studio feel similar to Shenzhen, China, a tech hub in the country with live streaming studios where people broadcast themselves reviewing and using products that viewers can purchase.

The LA location should be a natural fit for a studio location, according to the report, because the area draws in aspiring on-screen stars and comedians who might step into a studio to help sell some goods.