TikTok just signed a major deal with UnitedMasters that will allow independent artists to distribute their music over the app, and also to major streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud, and YouTube.
TikTok is already a major player in music discovery and has assisted a number of songs and artists in going viral. This partnership with indie music distributor UnitedMasters seems like an intuitive move to expose even more undiscovered hits just waiting to be heard.
How this will affect TikTok’s relationship with major labels is unclear, because this deal is basically cutting them out. An article from TechCrunch lays it out: “By promoting indie artists to help them achieve viral success without a traditional label’s involvement, TikTok could become a launching pad for artists who don’t want a label deal. Instead, TikTok artists would gain access to fans and, eventually, the resulting revenue potential that comes with having a large audience.” 
TikTok and UnitedMasters seem optimistic about the new venture…
The Global Head of Music at TikTok, Ole Obermann, said:
TikTok artists who are creating music in their bedrooms today will be featured in the Billboard charts tomorrow. Our mission is to help those artists achieve their creative potential and success. This partnership with UnitedMasters gives us a turn-key solution to help artists who are born on TikTok to reach their fans on every music service.
CEO and Founder of UnitedMasters affirms:
If you are a musical artist, TikTok is the best place for your music to go viral and UnitedMasters is the best place to sustain it while retaining full ownership of your work. By combining the two, we create the platform for tomorrow’s stars who will be famous, fiercely independent and wealthy.”
Learn more about UnitedMasters here.
Source: TechCrunch
