TikTok and the Australasian Performing Right Association and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (APRA AMCOS) have signed a multi-year music licensing deal.
This agreement marks the first deal between TikTok and APRA AMCOS, and will also account for TikTok’s past use of musical works, including the service Musical.ly.
This agreement will allow for the collection of digital mechanical and performance royalties for APRA AMCOS’ 111,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in Australia and New Zealand.
The news of the deal follows TikTok’s announcement in September that it has surpassed 1 billion global Monthly Active Users (MAUs).
Eleswhere at TikTok, last month, the platform revealed six ‘certified Sound Partners’ which it said “will make it even easier for brands of all sizes to tap into music and sound on TikTok.”
The partnerships with the six music companies form part of an expansion to the TikTok Marketing Partners program, which launched in September 2020.
In September, TikTok told MBW that it was planning the beta launch of SoundOn, a direct-upload service – plus a suite of tools – for independent artists.
Speaking to MBW in September, Ole Obermann, Global Head of Music at TikTok, said: “We’re now at the point where a trending song on TikTok will achieve billions of views and many millions of creations in a single month.”
He added: “That’s an incredible amount of engagement. And that’s really the way that we think about things at TikTok: we are a platform that is about music engagement – not consumption. Whether that’s views, creations, Likes, or shares. It all mixes together in this kind of new form of fandom.”
“TikTok is committed to paying creators and artists when their music is used, and we look forward to discovering many more local talents and sounds.”
Jordan Lowy, TikTok
Jordan Lowy, Head of Music Publishing Licensing and Partnerships at TikTok, said: “I’m delighted that TikTok has inked this landmark deal with the distinctive community of publishers and songwriters in Australia and New Zealand, who bring such creativity and joy to our platform through their music.
“TikTok is committed to paying creators and artists when their music is used, and we look forward to discovering many more local talents and sounds.”
“TikTok is super-charging music discovery and playing an increasingly important role in helping Kiwi and Australian music creators connect with a global audience.”
Ollie Wards, TikTok Australia and New Zealand
Ollie Wards, Director of Music for TikTok Australia and New Zealand, said: “TikTok is super-charging music discovery and playing an increasingly important role in helping Kiwi and Australian music creators connect with a global audience.
“We’re thrilled to enter into this agreement with APRA AMCOS, which secures royalty payments for local song-writers and publishers, and cements our partnership with the music industry in this region.”
“Music is often integral to the success of innovative digital services, and there’s been no better example than the phenomenal rise of TikTok.”
Dean Ormston, APRA AMCOS
APRA AMCOS Chief Executive, Dean Ormston, said: “Music is often integral to the success of innovative digital services, and there’s been no better example than the phenomenal rise of TikTok.
“We’re really pleased to have finalised an agreement with TikTok on behalf of the 111,000 Australian and New Zealand music creators and publishers that APRA AMCOS proudly represents.
“APRA AMCOS’ agreement with TikTok legitimises the use of music on the platform in Australia and New Zealand, and recognises the important contribution that the songwriters, composers and publishers that music make to TikTok’s success.”
Music Business Worldwide