A TikTok Tutorial for iOS VTubers

Adding vocals to a legendary cover of “Umbrella” by Kiki Wongo

This article describes how to interact with TikTok content using Live2D models and facial motion capture software.

For this tutorial, we will be working with an iOS software called Vodcasto, created by yours truly.

Find a TikTok to use as your Starting Point

The first thing you’ll want to do is find a TikTok you’d like to interact with. For this tutorial, we’ll choose a Duet from Jerrica Alyssa.

1. Select the TikTok, and tap the Share arrow.
2. Tap Save Video on TikTok’s context menu.
3. The video has now been saved to your Camera Roll. Tap Done.

Import the TikTok into Vodcasto

Next, launch your Live2D animation software. In our case, we’ll use Vodcasto!

Once the software is launched, we’ll set the TikTok we just saved as the Background for our Scene.

1. Tap the Background button.
2. Tap the Plus icon to add an Image background
3. Tap the TikTok we saved to the Camera Roll.
4. Use the Resize button if you wish to toggle between Fit and Fill. Press Done upon completion.

Once we’ve hit Done, we’ve got our TikTok playing on loop as the background to our Scene. Now, we’ll prepare to record!

Balance the Audio

Apple’s native voice recorder seems to struggle when simultaneously playing audio and recording user input. The problem stems from the software volume as opposed to the hardware volume.

Software volume refers to the volume sliders within an application. Meanwhile, the buttons on the side of your phone access the hardware volume.

In Apple’s case, the quieter the software volume is, the louder your voice will sound on top of the recording.

A good rule of thumb is: The higher the Vodcasto’s volume slider, the quieter your voice will record on top of the track. Do not be discouraged if it takes a few recordings to find your sweet spot!

Recording a Video

Before we begin, let’s hide Vodcasto’s menu bar from the shot. Tap Hide to collapse the menu bar.

To record, we’ll be using iOS’s native Screen Recording function. This functionality captures all sound coming from your device, as well as input from the Microphone.

1. Access the iOS Control Center by swiping inward from the upper-right corner of the screen
2. Look for the Screen Recording button. If it’s not there, you can add it using this handy guide.
3. Press and hold the Screen Recording button to launch an additional context menu. In this menu, make sure the Microphone is set to on.
4. Hit Start Recording, and you’ll be treated to a 3 second countdown. From there, you’re live baby! The recording will continue until you invoke the Control Center again and ask it to stop.

Jump back to Vodcasto, and create your content! Upon stopping your recording, the new video will be stored on your Camera Roll.

Uploading to TikTok

Well, we’ve created our composite video — now it’s time to share it with the world!

Jump back into TikTok, where our favorite Jerrica Alyssa jam is still queued up.

1. Tap the Spinning Record icon to create a derivative work using this TikTok’s audio.
2. Tap the Use this Sound button to link this song to our creation.
3. Tap Upload to browse for our video.

4. Select the recording we just created, and hit Next.

5. Trim the clip to the desired length, and hit Next again.

Next, we will handle the audio. Now, I’m pretty sure this goes a bit against the spirit of TikTok’s audio reuse, but hey, we’re pioneering a movement here!

1. Tap the Sounds icon.
2. Tap the Volume header within the Sounds menu.
3. Pull the Added Sound down to zero, and crank the Original Sound to max. This essentially eliminates the original recording, and replaces it with our audio composite.
4. Tap anywhere on the video to return to the previous menu screen.

We’ve made it! Hit Next to proceed to the Post menu, where you can type a description, specify your audience, and publish your masterpiece.

Here’s ours!

Vodcasto is currently in TestFlight and is scheduled for publication in August 2021. If you are interested in joining our beta, please get in touch!