TikTok has announced a new deal with Universal Music Group that will give the video-sharing app access to the huge catalog of UMG's music and artists. The two companies called the deal an “expanded global alliance” and it is a clear reflection of the growing ties between the two.
The statements announcing the deal also confirmed that both of these companies will be working together to try out new features to excite their users even further. Moving forward, TikTok will now be able to access and incorporate clips from UMG's full catalog of music, including hits from the company’s most iconic artists and labels.
Analysts see this as a very smart move from the Chinese company. After all, UMG has a huge catalog of popular music out there.
As a result, it will be easier now for TikTok users to use this amazing catalog. Additionally, UMG will now benefit from the massive base of users that TikTok has. Besides, the social media company has also proven to be the perfect platform for the spread of viral content.
UMG, therefore, has a real chance of reaching billions of potential fans with its music all over the globe. It is also a clear sign for now that indeed the music industry is starting to see the value that online influencers can bring as far as popularizing music goes.
For so many years, these major music companies relied on their marketing and distribution network to get the music out there. But it seems the times are changing.
Social media offers a great way to reach millions of people in a short time and with very minimal effort. As such, the role of influencers in the growth of music will become more dominant moving forward in the future. Despite this, this is not the first music deal that TikTok is making. The Chinese-based social media platform has also made additional deals with other companies.
Just recently, the video-sharing app announced that it was partnering with a company called Merlin, a firm that represents a huge portion of indie music labels.
We also noted that TikTok had deals with Sony Music and the Warner Music Group. What this simply does is that it gives the app the ideal platform to now use popular soundtracks to its videos without facing any copyright hurdles.
When you think about it, TikTok seems to have deals with companies that represented the entire music industry. It is the perfect base to launch its global dominance as one of the most popular video-sharing platforms in the world.
The company has, however, had its fair share of challenges. Last year, it was banned from operating in the US due to national security reasons by the former White House administration. It is not clear whether the new Biden admin will ease such restrictions.
But so far, the current administration has said that it will follow in Trump’s footsteps on standing up against China. This may affect TikTok's future operations in the US negatively.
