ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has announced it will discontinue its music streaming service, TikTok Music, by November. The platform, which was launched in July 2023 in Indonesia and Brazil, is part of ByteDance’s strategy to extend its TikTok brand into music streaming.
Ole Obermann, TikTok’s global head of music business development, stated, “We will be closing TikTok Music at the end of November in order to focus on our goal of furthering TikTok’s role in driving even greater music listening and value on music streaming services, for the benefit of artists, songwriters, and the industry.”
ByteDance has faced challenges within the music industry, particularly in the United States. Earlier this year, a royalties dispute with Universal Music Group (UMG) resulted in UMG removing its entire music library from TikTok. Although TikTok contested UMG’s claims, both parties eventually resolved their disagreement and entered into a new agreement.
TikTok has significantly influenced music discovery, with approximately 107 million users in the U.S. Among these users, 67 percent reported that they are more likely to seek out a song after hearing it on the app. Initially branded as Resso, TikTok Music was rebranded in 2023 and expanded to markets including Singapore, Australia, and Mexico, with ambitions of entering the U.S. market. However, the service has encountered difficulties, including a ban in India earlier this year.
TikTok Music operates similarly to Spotify as a freemium subscription service. As the service is set to close on November 28, Apple users can request refunds until then. Google Play subscribers who have plans extending beyond November 28 will automatically receive refunds or can request one through Google Play before the service ends.
