- TikTok Music closes Nov 28, ending subscription service
- Platform to focus on integrating music with partner streaming services
- Closure follows licensing agreement with Universal Music Group
TikTok has announced that its streaming service, TikTok Music, will be closing its doors on November 28, just under a year after its launch. Currently available in Indonesia, Brazil, Australia, Singapore, and Mexico, the service has struggled to gain traction in the competitive music streaming market.
In a statement on the TikTok Music website, the company expressed gratitude to its users: “We would like to thank you for all of your support, and we hope you enjoyed the music.”
Ole Obermann, TikTok’s global head of music business development, emphasized the platform’s future direction in a report by Billboard Pro, stating, “Our Add to Music App feature has already enabled hundreds of millions of track saves to playlists on partner music streaming services.” He further explained the decision to shut down TikTok Music: “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.”
The Add to Music feature, which will remain active, allows users to easily add songs to popular streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music with a simple click.
Earlier this year, TikTok faced challenges with Universal Music Group (UMG), resulting in the termination of their licensing agreement. In January, UMG publicly accused TikTok of trying to “bully” and “intimidate” them into accepting a less favorable licensing deal, which they claimed did not reflect the fair market value of their music.
This dispute led to the removal of UMG’s music from the TikTok platform, including tracks from major artists like Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Drake, and Kendrick Lamar. However, after months of negotiations regarding royalties, UMG announced on May 1 that both parties had reached a “multi-dimensional” licensing agreement, allowing UMG’s music to return to TikTok.
