Every phase in human life comes packaged together with its own unique dynamics. Once it has arrived, we must adapt to those dynamics, as this is what really sets the tone for our personal growth. However, if the end-product is so much valuable, it cannot be a cakewalk, right? Well, you guessed it. Humans came to the said realization long ago, therefore to guide themselves in terms of navigating the process; they would start conceiving all sorts of ideas. It turned out to be one huge hit-or-miss affair, but when one such attempt ended up yielding technology, the whole landscape changed forever. With technology running the show, humans were able to clock a level, which they didn’t have the capability to reach on their own. This included notable upgrades throughout the spectrum. Interestingly enough, though, even after treading beyond all known boundaries, technology will continue building upon its success, thus giving human beings a consistent chance at something more unique and impactful. The said progressive element is, in fact, highly apparent within concepts like artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and what not. Nevertheless, it is also pulsating in some subtle representations. To contextualize the claim, you only have to look at TikTok’s latest announcement.
TikTok has officially launched a dedicated music distribution platform named SoundOn. Built on the intention of helping artists get a better exposure, SoundOn allows you to upload your music directly on TikTok. Apart from the main platform, the service will enable artists to create a presence on parent company, ByteDance’s own music streaming service, Resso, with other big platforms like Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, Deezer and Tencent’s Joox also thrown in the mix. According to certain reports, TikTok won’t charge the creators any distribution or transaction fee. As a user of SoundOn, you can further expect to receive 100% of your royalties for now, but the figure might drop to 90% in year two and onwards.
“TikTok creators are the lifeblood of our platform and the reason sounds become hits,” the SoundOn’s website explains. “When you release through our platform, our team will activate diverse creators to make videos with your track. This helps you broaden your fanbase and reach new communities that these creators are a part of.
Alongside all the distribution capabilities, SoundOn hopes to solidify the content cause by offering intensive promotional tools and support, which includes cutting-edge insights into your target audience, editorial placements on Resso and CapCut (ByteDance’s video editing app), and advice from SoundOn’s marketing team itself.
TikTok’s willingness to capture the music market has been on display for a while now. In 2020, the social media company announced a deal with UnitedMasters. It was TikTok’s first ever adventure in music distribution, and considering the platform’s ambition for SoundOn, we are likely see even more of TikTok in the music segment.