TikTok launches global music distribution platform for artists
- If their music is used for advertising or in TikTok videos, artists will receive 100 per cent of royalties in the first year, after which the rate drops to 90 per cent
- In 2020, ByteDance launched its first stand-alone music streaming app Resso in markets such as Indonesia, India and Brazil, where it quickly gained traction
Global hit short video app TikTok, owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, has launched a music distribution platform where artists can market their work to more than 1 billion users worldwide.
Available in the US, United Kingdom, Brazil and Indonesia, the new SoundOn platform allows artists to upload their music directly to TikTok, as well as to ByteDance’s own music streaming service Resso.
TikTok had more than 1 billion monthly active users as of September 2021.
Artists can also choose to distribute their work via global streaming platforms including Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, Deezer and Tencent Holding’s Joox.
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If their music is used in advertising or in TikTok videos, SoundOn will pay the artists 100 per cent of royalties in the first year, after which the rate drops to 90 per cent. The ByteDance platform will also provide support, such as audience insight and development, expert advice and promotional support through creator marketing on the TikTok platform.
Musicians only need to register with a verified identity, sign a licensing agreement, and upload their music, according to SoundOn’s official website.
The platform “will guide creators on their journey to the big stage and bring the expertise and power of TikTok to life for the artist,” said Ole Obermann, TikTok’s global head of music.
The move is the entertainment giant’s latest entry into the music industry.
In 2020, ByteDance launched its first stand-alone music streaming app Resso in markets such as Indonesia, India and Brazil, where it quickly gained traction. In Brazil, Resso was the most downloaded music app on Google Play as of Friday noon, according to market tracker Data.ai, formerly known as App Annie.
Earlier this year, ByteDance started testing a Chinese version of Resso, called Qishui Yinyue, which translates to “soft drink music” in English. In February, the Chinese tech unicorn registered the intellectual property rights for the app’s Android version, a move that signalled it will be rolled out soon.
