ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has announced that it will shut down its music streaming platform, TikTok Music, worldwide on November 28, 2024.

According to musicbusinessworldwide.com, this decision would affect users in Indonesia, Brazil, Australia, Singapore, and Mexico, where the app is currently available.

Subscribers are advised to transfer their playlists to other streaming services by October 28, as automatic renewals will be cancelled after November 28.

The closure is part of TikTok's strategy to focus on its 'Add To Music App' feature, which allows users to save music tracks discovered on TikTok to playlists on their preferred streaming services.

Ole Obermann, TikTok’s Global Head of Music Business Development, stated that this feature has already enabled hundreds of millions of track saves to partner music streaming services.

The shift aims to enhance music discovery and value for artists, songwriters, and the music industry.

TikTok Music, which launched in Indonesia and Brazil last summer and later expanded to Australia, Singapore, and Mexico, initially succeeded ByteDance’s Resso platform.

Despite its user base, TikTok Music did not achieve significant international growth.

The decision to close TikTok Music is also influenced by ByteDance's strategy to partner with existing music streaming platforms rather than compete directly with them.

Recent licensing disputes, including one with Universal Music Group, have likely played a role in this shift.

TikTok has demonstrated its power to drive music consumption on third-party platforms, with more than a quarter of the Top 100 singles in Germany last year going viral on TikTok before becoming hits on the German singles chart.

The company is currently in discussions with other music streaming subscription platforms about partnering on the 'Add To Music App' feature.

ID/GA

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