Streaming service TikTok Music is shutting down
The subscription launched less than a year ago and will officially close on November 28
TikTok’s streaming service TikTok Music will be closing down this November.
Currently available in Indonesia, Brazil, Australia, Singapore and Mexico, the subscription service was launched less than a year ago.
A statement on the TikTok Music website shares that the platform will end on November 28, adding: “We would like to thank you for all of your support, and we hope you enjoyed the music.”
Read this next: TikTok is trialling a new AI music-making tool
“Our Add to Music App feature has already enabled hundreds of millions of track saves to playlists on partner music streaming services,” said Ole Obermann, TikTok’s global head of music business development, as reported by Billboard Pro.
Obermann adds: “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 allows users to add songs directly to streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music with the click of a button.
Earlier this year, TikTok faced a dispute with Universal Music Group (UMG) which saw the end of their license agreement.
Read this next: "The brainwashing has worked": James Blake slams streaming platforms for devaluing music
In January, UMG released an open letter accusing the platform of attempting to "bully" and "intimidate" them into "accepting a licensing deal worth less than the previous deal, far less than fair market value and not reflective of their exponential growth".
This resulted in TikTok removing music from UMG from the platform, including work by its biggest artists such as Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Drake and Kendrick Lamar.
Ending a months-long battle surrounding royalties, on May 1, UMG released a statement announcing that both parties have signed a "multi-dimensional" licensing agreement. UMG’s music has now returned to the app.
Becky Buckle is Mixmag's Multimedia Editor, follow her on Twitter