TikTok’s looking to provide more direct support for unsigned musicians, and help them boost their presence, with a new initiative called SoundOn, which will enable any musician to upload and license their tracks for use on TikTok and its partner music streaming platform Resso.

As explained by TikTok:

“[SoundOn] allows artists to upload their music directly to TikTok and begin earning royalties, when that music is used. SoundOn pays out 100% royalties to music creators in the first year and 90% after that, and provides a range of promotional tools and support.”

Those support tools include audience insight and development notes, advice from a dedicated SoundOn artist team, access to TikTok's song tab and promotional support through creator marketing in the app.

In addition to this, SoundOn artists will also be able to distribute their work to other music platforms.

“As a result, fans loyalty transcends TikTok and helps artists build audiences on other streaming services and DSPs.”

That could be a strong lure for those looking to make a name of themselves in the industry, with TikTok now playing a key role in the music distribution process, and connecting audiences to new tracks.

Indeed, music is a critical element in the TikTok process, with 9 out of 10 users viewing sound as being vital to the TikTok experience. TikTok’s influence on the industry has also become increasingly evident, with some publishers even changing the names of their artists' tracks in line with how they're being referred to on the platform, while producers are also now factoring TikTok trends into their process, as they seek to generate viral traction through the app.

Given this, the platform has been working for some time to provide more opportunities for independent musicians to get their work out there, and gain traction via TikTok trends.

Back in 2020, TikTok also signed a deal with UnitedMasters to help little-known musicians launch their careers via the app. SoundOn is the next evolution of that process, facilitating more direct connection between creators and the platform, which will no doubt be an intriguing proposal for many prospective artists.

Worth noting, too, Meta launched a similar program in June last year.

It’ll be interesting to see how artists respond to the SoundOn program, and how that then influences future music trends, and helps musicians build their presence – while it could also open up new opportunities for brands to partner with lesser-known musicians to help boost their campaigns.

SoundOn is now fully launched in the US, UK, Brazil and Indonesia – you can check out the SoundOn website here.