Facebook's Latest Experimental App BARS Is Made For Amateur Rappers

NPE Team, Facebook's internal group for experimental apps, has released a new product called BARS. The social media platform is similar to TikTok, but with a niche userbase: amateur rappers. With BARS, anyone can create rap songs using tools like beats, autotune, and more, then share the content with others.

According to the app's description, BARS will enable users to create 'high-quality rap in a fun and easy way.' The app doesn't require formal experience in the genre, the NPE Team explains, instead providing the tools users need to create their content and share it with listeners.

The app includes both audio and video effects, enabling users to record themselves performing their content. Users can create their own lyrics and pair them with beats provided by BARS; the app includes a 'rhyming dictionary' to help users craft their perfect song.

In addition, BARS features a Challenge Mode for freestyling based on the automatically suggested word cues, adding an element of gamification while giving users a way to showcase their skills. As is the nature of these short-form video services, users are limited to videos up to one minute in length.

The videos can be saved to the user's camera roll for distribution on other platforms. Whether such a niche product will find a solid userbase in a market packed with TikTok-like apps remains to be seen. BARS is in closed beta at this point; iPhone users can download the app now to reserve their username and get put on the waitlist for access.