Thanks to a recent collaboration between TikTok and the music distribution service DistroKid, millions of independent musicians now have the opportunity to showcase their music on TikTok Music. This is especially significant because TikTok Music is the recently introduced subscription-based music streaming service. Furthermore, this partnership permits artists to make their tracks accessible on CapCut, a video editing application owned by ByteDance, which boasts approximately 490 million users across iOS and Android platforms.
For independent artists seeking to expand their audience through popular platforms, having a presence on TikTok Music and CapCut is of utmost importance. Despite TikTok Music being accessible in only five countries at present, it has the potential to captivate the billions of TikTok users who are eager to explore and enjoy music. DistroKid’s music catalog is now joining the ranks of major record companies already featured on TikTok Music, including Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Sony Music.
Philip Kaplan, the founder and CEO of DistroKid, emphasized the significance of TikTok as a music discovery platform, stating, “TikTok is one of the most powerful music discovery platforms in the world.” He also highlighted that this expanded partnership, encompassing CapCut and the Commercial Music Library, makes it incredibly easy for millions of musicians to expand the availability of their music. As TikTok Music becomes available in more countries, it promises further reach for these artists.
DistroKid, responsible for distributing 30-40% of the world’s music, initially joined forces with TikTok in 2019, becoming one of the pioneering distributors to assist emerging artists in uploading their music to TikTok.
DistroKid users receive royalties each time their songs are featured in TikTok videos, and these payments are managed through DistroKid, not TikTok. While online estimates suggest that TikTok pays artists three cents per video, DistroKid directs 100% of earnings (excluding banking fees and taxes) to the artists. The company has not disclosed the total revenue earned by members who opted for distribution on TikTok.
In addition to TikTok, DistroKid supports musicians in selling their songs on various platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, Instagram, YouTube, Pandora, Amazon, and iHeartRadio, among others.
Furthermore, DistroKid’s catalog is now accessible in TikTok’s Commercial Music Library (CML), which brands can use in their advertising campaigns. Previously in beta, this library is now fully open to all DistroKid artists.
The partnership expansion between TikTok and DistroKid is occurring shortly after TikTok collaborated with Tickets.com to facilitate ticket sales for its inaugural live music event called “In The Mix.”
