TikTok parent company ByteDance filed a trademark application with the US Patent and Trademark Office in May for a service called “TikTok Music.” First spotted by Business Insider, the filing indicates that the trademark could be applied to a mobile app that would allow users to buy, play, share and download music.
The short form video app is already a popular tool for music discovery, and can often lead to songs increasing in popularity after being used in videos and viral trends. A report released by the company last year suggested that 175 songs that trended on the short video platform ended up on the Billboard 100 chart. Additionally, a recent report published by a UK music investor suggested that songs that n popular on TikTok drives additional views on YouTube and streams on other platforms, such as Spotify.
While TikTok drives these songs to be popular, it doesn’t have its own music streaming platform – at least in the US – to monetize them. Instead, users turn to popular services like Spotify or Apple Music to play their favorite TikTok songs. However, TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, operates a music streaming service called Resso in India, Brazil and Indonesia, and we understand that it has previously considered bringing this service to more markets.
A former ByteDance employee told TechCrunch that the company considered launching Resso into different global markets under the “TikTok Music” tag, in fact. In particular, it had been considering launching in mature markets such as the UK and Australia, the source said.
Resso’s app could be a viable threat to existing US streamers given its close ties to TikTok and its social networking aspects. Currently, Resso offers a TikTok-like user interface where users can jump through the songs by scrolling up and down. It also has the option to comment on songs and albums, and edit the cover of users’ playlists – similar to what the TikTok Music trademark suggests.
The app has seen solid growth in its current markets, according to mobile data. According to analytics firm SensorTower, the company saw 42.3 million downloads from the App Store and Google Play between January and May this year – a 19% year-on-year growth for the same period. The music streaming app has had 184 million lifetime downloads overall.
ByteDance’s filing lists several uses for the TikTok Music trademark. One use case listed in the filing for “TikTok Music” includes an app that would allow users to live stream audio and video, along with the option to “edit and upload photos as playlist covers.” The app would also allow users to leave comments on music, songs and albums, according to the filing. Another use case suggests that the service could be used to “live stream interactive audio and video media programming in entertainment, fashion, sports, and current events.” The filing also suggests that the app could be used to “provide podcast and radio broadcast content to users.” Adding podcast content alongside music would make TikTok Music an even bigger competitor to Apple Music and Spotify.
The news of TikTok’s potential music streaming service comes as the company launched its own music marketing and distribution platform, SoundOn, a few months ago to help more artists get their music heard. The platform allows artists to upload their music directly to TikTok and Resso, as well as global streaming platforms including Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, Deezer and Tencent’s Joox. With the launch of its own music streaming service alongside SoundOn, TikTok would be able to offer a complete solution to listeners and artists in the US
TikTok has dominated the short-form video market and was the first non-Meta app to reach three billion downloads globally, according to Sensor Tower. Its growth has caused the likes of Instagram and YouTube to reconsider their platforms and business methods due to the threat they face from the short-form video app. That makes its plans to enter the music streaming space a potential threat to the incumbents.
Still, it’s worth noting that TikTok hasn’t been successful in translating all of its services to new markets. The company, for example, recently closed its UK Shopping service after a disastrous launch and employee walkouts. TikTok employees in the UK had alleged a toxic work culture and breach of employment law. This could halt plans to bring other services – including Resso, a service run by Chinese tech giant ByteDance – to the US or other regions.
ByteDance and TikTok did not respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment.
