TechCrunch Industry News OpenAI’s Sora app is struggling after its stellar launch; plus, Music Publishers sue Anthropic for $3B
Jan 29, 2026
A look at a fast-rising AI app that saw installs and spending plunge after a blockbuster launch. Discussion of the app’s AI video prompts, remixing tools, likeness casting and social features. Coverage of competition from other AI platforms and mounting copyright limits. Reporting on major music publishers suing an AI company over alleged mass song copying.
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Sora's Rapid Rise Then Quick Decline
- Sora surged quickly but lost momentum as initial hype faded and downloads fell steeply over two months.
- Competition, copyright limits and user reluctance to share likenesses combined to shrink installs and spending.
Strong Early Metrics Mask Fragility
- Sora reached 100,000 installs on day one and hit 1 million faster than ChatGPT, yet later dropped out of the App Store top 100.
- The app accrued 9.6 million downloads and $1.4 million in spending but later slid in both rank and revenue.
Competition Eroded Sora's Momentum
- Rival AI apps like Google's Gemini and Meta AI undercut Sora's novelty, drawing users away during the same launch window.
- Feature overlap and intense competition lowered Sora's sustained adoption.