When Resso, ByteDanceIs the subscription music streaming service – currently available in India, Indonesia and Brazil – launching in the US as “TikTok Music”?
This has been one of the music industry’s big questions of 2022, following various reports regarding TikTok’s ambitions to launch a music app in the market.
The launch of a dedicated TikTok Music app has the potential to shake up the streaming space. And Spotifythe world’s largest subscription streaming service, will likely be watching these developments very closely.
To recap all developments related to “TikTok Music” so far:
- During the summer, MBW found a US patent filing filed by Singapore-based TikTok Pte, a music service retailer;
- We also discovered that TikTok is recruiting “TikTok Music” staff to work on its “TikTok Music” team;
- A job posting we found further explained “Resso or TikTok Music, is a Gen Z music app that was launched [in] 2020 in India, Indonesia and Brazil”.
More evidence on TikTok’s plans to launch a new music app has been uncovered by Business Insider, in the form of a US trademark application filed by TikTok’s parent company ByteDance for ‘TikTok Music’.
The proposed app, originally filed in Australia in November, followed by the US in May, would allow users to “buy, play, share, download music, songs, albums, lyrics” as well as “streaming live audio and video”.
Now, MBW has spotted that at least six verified Twitter accounts for “TikTok Music” have appeared in multiple global markets, all bearing the same branding and message, with a message reading, “Welcome to a new way to experience the music”.
Could a launch be imminent?
The main “TikTok Music” The account was created in February and has only posted three times, all three on April 25.
“Welcome to a new way of experiencing music.”
TikTok, in the Twitter post
In the most recent post, TikTok says, “Welcome to a new way to experience music,” which followed a previous post that read, “Discover your new favorite song.”
In the first of three posts, TikTok simply states, “Stay tuned.”
Other TikTok Music accounts have also been created, all with the same three posts, and all verified:
The presence of multiple accounts for multiple markets, all with the same message, hints at a possible unified global launch of TikTok Music.
The absence of specific accounts for Brazil, Indonesia and India could mean that Resso will continue to operate in these markets, as Resso.
A giant hurdle that could hamper ByteDance and TikTok’s music app plan could be the recent news that Sony Music EntertainmentThe entire recorded music catalog of was sourced from Resso in Brazil, India and Indonesia.
sonyThe Resso catalog deletion comes amid widespread talk in the global music rights industry over so-called “buyout” deals between major record labels and TikTok.
These agreements are supposed to currently license the catalogs of the majors to TikTok on a flat rate basis, generally for two-year periods.
Some top industry officials are now calling on TikTok to transform its licensing deals with big rightsholders on a revenue-sharing basis, which would see music companies (and artists) get paid every time music is used. in a monetized video on the platform.
Another obstacle could also be related to licensing.
When Resso spear in India in 2020, it has been licensed by the likes of Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, group of beggars and Merlinas well as major India-based rights holders such as T-Series, Saregama, Zee Music, Times Music and Tips.
Universal Music Groupthe world’s largest rights holder, was a notable omission from this list of partners – although it is now believed to have licensed Resso.
Meanwhile, TikTok and ByteDance also appear to be on a music-related hiring spree, with A&R roles resembling jobs you might expect to be advertised on a record label.
On Monday, October 3, MBW announced that TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is hiring for A&R roles in four major North American cities (Los Angeles, New York, Miami and Toronto).
According to the job descriptions for each of these A&R roles, executives who end up being hired for them will need to “ensure that artists see ByteDance as the #1 partner for developing, promoting and monetizing artists.”
TikTok is also hiring for more than 100 music-related roles globally, in markets ranging from South Africa and Brazil to Germany, France, the UK and India.
We noted on Monday that the recruitment drive comes amid a hiring freeze in the wider tech sector, particularly at other global tech giants like Meta and Googleindicating that ByteDance and TikTok take music very seriously.
These new developments come six months after TikTok launched its sound activated music distribution service.
To believeowned digital distribution platform TuneCore was chosen as a distribution partner of SoundOn.
TikTok recently deposit the financial results of its European operations for fiscal year 2021 (ended December 31).
The filing, publicly available on UK Companies House for TikTok Information Technologies UK Ltd, shows revenue of US$990.46 million within 12 months.The music industry around the world