Bytedance, the parent company of the popular video-sharing app, TikTok has delved into music streaming.
The company announced the launch of a new music streaming service, TikTok Music, on Thursday.
The new service can only be accessed through subscription and will enable users to sync the app with their existing TikTok accounts. This will also enable them to search, and download tracks that they discover on the video app.
In a release shared by the global head of music business development at TikTok, Ole Obermann, it was revealed that that service will only be available to TikTok users in Brazil and Indonesia at the initial launch.
The statement read in part, “We are pleased to introduce TikTok Music, a new kind of service that combines the power of music discovery on TikTok with a best-in-class streaming service. TikTok Music will make it easy for people in Indonesia and Brazil to save, download and share their favourite viral tracks from TikTok.
“We are excited about the opportunities TikTok Music presents for both music fans and artists, and the great potential it has for driving significant value to the music industry.”
Subscribers can explore personalised music recommendations; connect with “like-minded” music fans; sing along to real-time lyrics; co-create collaborative playlists with friends; import their music libraries from other apps; and discover songs by searching for lyrics.
Other perks include an ad-free experience and a download function that enables offline listening.
Bytedance had filed a trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for TikTok Music over a year ago. Billboard also reported in October 2022 that the company was in conversations with major music rights holders such as Universal Music Group and Sony, to launch its own streaming service in several regions.
The company had previously launched a streaming service named Resso, in 2020. With the introduction of TikTok Music, the former app will be retired in Brazil and Indonesia by the 5th of September, 2023.
TikTok Music will have to compete with other giant streaming services such as Apple Music and Spotify. However, an existing large user base on TikTok will serve as an advantage for the new app.
