TikTok is the new viral platform, and as much cringe content as there is on it, no one can deny the absolute viral potential any video on the app. I made an account, started from scratch, and uploaded a video with a couple hashtags and got 500 views by the end the day. I’ll be lucky to get that on my Instagram account that I’ve had for 8 years.
But one the major challenges the platform has been dealing with all the music content that is uploaded either properly or improperly. When users choose a song to use the app, it’s tracked and logged; however, when a user uploads a video with a song already edited in, it’s much harder for the app to track.
The Chinese app is approaching those challenges on two fronts.
First, according to Financial Times, TikTok owner Beijing ByteDance Technology Co Ltd has been speaking with major labels “for global licensing deals to include their songs on its new music subscription service.” It’s aiming to launch as early as next month, first in “emerging markets” like India, Indonesia and Brazil, before later opening it up to the United States. There’s no public name for the service yet, nor a price point, but there should be more about it very soon.
Second, TikTok just launched a new portal for artists. This will allow artists to upload their music directly to the platform for content creators to use in their videos. It will also provide analytics for artists to track their music and incorporate new methods to push your music to other creators. However, the terms & conditions don’t translate very well to English at the moment, so you might want to wait before agreeing to something you’re unsure .
TikTok is available for iOS and Android.