Cabana is a social video viewing app. What does that mean exactly? Tumblr seems to know – they bought Cabana when it was in development and have now brought it to market.

Chat, watch

Cabana lets users simultaneously stream YouTube and connect via video chat with up to five others.

It seems like a competent implementation of a group video chat app, but its real selling point is the group streaming aspect.

Casual social streaming

Cabana promotes a casual approach to distance-based binge watching. As its tagline says: ‘Hang Out, Watch Stuff’.

Categorised as a social media app, it seems destined to spawn a new generation of reaction videos.

Yahoo, not YouTube

Cabana makes apparently elegant use of the YouTube API to offer a third-party integration of the streaming service within the app. It is, however, very third-party and definitively not a YouTube product.

Backed by a Tumblr, a Yahoo! company, use of the app requires login with a Yahoo! account. Which could be a deal-breaker for some.

Un-Australian Apple

Cabana launches as an iOS exclusive, but will come to Android in May.

Do you think Cabana or similar products could help with social marketing? Let us know in the Comments.

Copy Transmission is a Melbourne-based agency :: Better Brands. Loud & Clear.