Common Sense Media Review
Smart video editor makes creativity fun and easy, has risks.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Funimate - Be Music Video Star
Privacy Rating Warning
Privacy Rating
Our expert evaluators create our privacy ratings. The ratings are designed to help you understand how apps use your data for commercial purposes.
Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
Privacy Rating
Our expert evaluators create our privacy ratings. The ratings are designed to help you understand how apps use your data for commercial purposes.
Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
What's It About?
FUNIMATE: BE MUSIC VIDEO STAR is a video editing and livestreaming app favored by TikTok users. After a free seven-day trial, the app charges $6.99/month for a suite of video and audio tools that let users create short videos and embellish them with music, text, effects, filters, and shapes. A library of tutorials gets users up and running, and the developer holds themed contests where users can submit videos to win prizes like cameras and lights. Users can like and comment on each other's videos and can follow one another. In addition to posting and sharing videos, users can use the app to livestream and can play simple mini-games with their viewers.
Is It Any Good?
This video editor has lots of features and some privacy options, but there's still plenty of mature content and risks for younger teens. In terms of its quality as a video editor, Funimate: Be Music Video Star offers a wide range of color filters, text, shapes, and particle effects and even lets you create and animate your own stickers from any picture you take. Even better, the app's press-and-hold controls are simple and intuitive. Granted, its audio library is limited to songs by indie artists and complete unknowns, but you can use any audio file stored on your phone. If you're feeling uninspired, themed contests offer creative ideas, and if you're feeling shy or disinclined to share your creations with the larger public, you can save them to your phone or use the privacy settings so only your closest friends have access to them. All that said, there's still plenty to worry about when it comes to your kids interacting with strangers, enduring bad online behavior, and viewing or participating in iffy content. Like other performance-based apps, it's a mixed bag: It allows kids to be creative and have fun, but there's definitely a dark side as well. Still, most videos made with Funimate: Be Music Video Star seem focused on helping users share their talents with the world -- but use with caution.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about online criticism in Funimate - Be Music Video Star and other apps. What can you do about negative comments? How should you respond, if at all?
Discuss performing online. What are the pros and cons? Are there any risks? How can you do it safely?
Think social media and self esteem. Are "likes" important? How do you measure the worth of something or someone outside of social media?
Talk about mature content. What music is it okay to use for performing? What are the risks to trying to appear or act older than you are?
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android
- Pricing structure : Free to try ($2.99/week for pro features)
- Release date : August 20, 2016
- Genre : Photo & Video
- Topics : Arts ( Music and Sing-Along )
- Publisher : Acvr Inc.
- Version : 9.2.2
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 10.0 or later; Android 5.0 and up
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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