It’s impossible to miss. TikTok has been sweeping up everything since it arrived in the music industry and sparking debate. Recently, the application announced its appearance in music streaming with TikTok Music. And that’s all it took for TikTok to return to everyone’s lips. Full of promise, this new application is yet to be available everywhere, but much information has already been revealed. What is TikTok Music, and can it be a serious streaming service?
We’re lifting the veil on a newcomer who could take center stage shortly.
What is TikTok Music?
We’ll soon publish an article on TikTok’s influence on the record industry. Let’s remember that TikTok has changed the way new music is discovered. And the way labels and artists conceive their songs. Even if it means sacrificing part of their identity, how many artists have entered the studio with their sights set on being included in a “TikTok Trend”? Not to cast stones at anyone. But it’s undeniable that TikTok has already helped change the game’s rules in just a few years.
The viral potential of the app is almost infinite. Even if it’s impossible to predict which songs have potential on TikTok, specific sound texture and duration criteria can be exploited. With its infinite scrolling navigation system, TikTok has even influenced streaming services such as Spotify. Spotify recently revised its navigation system, prompting some negative reactions. TikTok is now everywhere and a force to be reckoned with.
TikTok is an integral part of many labels’ development strategies. There is a correlation between streaming figures on “traditional” platforms and the massive song distribution on TikTok. TikTok understands this and knows there’s an opportunity to be exploited. So they’ve launched a new application, separate from the “classic” TikTok application, called TikTok Music. This application can be synchronized with the basic TikTok app to simplify all data exchanges.
TikTok Music: launch imminent.
TikTok Music, currently being tested in Brazil, Australia, Singapore, Mexico, and Indonesia, aims to make it easy to save and listen to songs on TikTok, offering everything a traditional streaming service already provides. The music catalogs of Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Sony Music are already integrated. With TikTok Music, TikTok aims to convert application users to a paying formula. There is no free version, as with Spotify or YouTube.
Like some competitors, the service lets you create collaborative playlists, search for a song by entering its lyrics, benefit from personalized suggestions, listen to songs offline, or access song lyrics, among other features. So far, nothing revolutionary, but that may change in the coming months. One element does stand out, however. It’s the ability to comment on songs and share these reactions on TikTok. TikTok Music also announces its intention to connect users with similar tastes. It reinforces the “social dimension” that more and more platforms are investing in.
In a press release, a manager from Byte Dance, a company associated with TikTok, sums up TikTok Music’s objectives and ambitions in the following terms:
“We are pleased to introduce TikTok Music, a new 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 favorite viral tracks from TikTok. We are excited about the opportunities. TikTok Music presents for fans and artists and its great potential for driving significant value to the music industry.”
When will TikTok Music be available?
No official launch date has yet been announced. The product is being tested in Brazil, Australia, Singapore, Mexico and Indonesia. So we’ll have to wait a few months before the world can enjoy what TikTok Music offers.
The process is not unprecedented. Companies carry out more or less lengthy test phases in markets outside the U.S. to gather as much information and customer feedback as possible. Indonesia and Brazil are TikTok’s second and third biggest markets after the USA.
Soundiiz will, of course, keep you informed when the platform becomes available!
Can it be a competitor to Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube Music?
Of course, it’s impossible to predict the future. But TikTok Music can compete with Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Deezer, Amazon Music, and TIDAL.
The reasons are simple. Today, a clear correlation exists between a TikTok trend and the streaming figures for the song in question. The artist concerned sees their statistics rise and their notoriety soar. It happens in a context where a TikTok user discovers and listens to the song and has to exit his application to open the streaming service he uses daily, save the piece, and possibly subscribe to the artist. Then, listen to the song or discography elsewhere than on TikTok.
The steps are simple. But there is one small hurdle: the user has to exit TikTok to open another application.
Imagine simplifying the process so you never had to leave a single application. All the steps would be easier and simpler. And no one would have to use Spotify or another streaming service to listen repeatedly to a song that exploded on TikTok. This would be a win-win situation for listeners regarding time, management, and ease of access. But it would also be a boon for labels and their artists, who could focus their efforts on a new platform and be encouraged to make as much music as possible available on TikTok Music. It has already begun.
What’s in it for me?
TikTok Music must offer added value regarding interface, content, and price. The streaming market is increasingly saturated. And platforms like Spotify have been around for so long that they’re almost impossible to dislodge. It’s a safe bet that TikTok could nibble away at market share in its first few years. That would be enough to make it a serious new player.
By combining the power and appeal of TikTok with all the services offered by a traditional streaming platform, TikTok Music has many cards to play.
And the streaming world may be already starting to shake!
Can Soundiiz be used with TikTok Music?
With Soundiiz, you can easily migrate from one streaming platform to another. You can transfer, for example, all your Spotify data (song and album likes, favorites, playlists) to Apple Music or any other streaming platform.
You can also synchronize playlists available on Spotify, for example, to your Deezer account at any frequency you choose without lifting a finger. Or download all your data in CSV format to store it somewhere and import it again. Among other things!
Technology permitting, we’ll extend all these features, which our users have been raving about for years, to TikTok Music. We can’t do that now, as the service is still testing.
But as soon as we have all the necessary information, we’ll keep you informed and, if possible, include the possibility of transferring data from Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, or similar TikTok Music.
Soundiiz aims to make it easier for you to use your streaming services daily. So, we’re keeping a close eye on what TikTok Music offers. Just as we stay abreast of all the latest news in the music industry. We aim to provide you with a service that’s up to date with the latest trends and adapted to new uses.
Until TikTok Music arrives, you can test our services right here!
