TikTok Music Is Here! New Streaming Service Launches Beta Test In Australia

TikTok Music only launched in its first test markets (Brazil and Indonesia) on July 6, but the platforms seems to be tracking well, as operations have already expanded to Mexico, Singapore and, yes, Australia.

As reported by Music Business Worldwide, the new app launches here today (July 19) as a closed beta service, available exclusively to a pool of volunteering users. They won’t need to pay for the service – the beta operates through users accessing a free three-month trial – and it’s unknown if there’s any limit to how many TikTok will accept into the program. At the time of writing, TikTok is poaching volunteers via direct invitation; there’s no way to sign up for the beta independently.

It’s a curious move, given TikTok’s mixed relationship with Australia. Back in February, the social video app changed the terms of music usage for content creators Down Under, with a rep saying at the time (via The Music Network) that the company was “running a test in Australia to analyse how music is accessed and used on the platform”. As part of the test, “some of [TikTok’s] users [were] not able to access our full music and sounds library”.

When the company unveiled TikTok Music earlier in July, it noted that users will be able to sync the service to their existing TikTok accounts, allowing them to share, stream and download songs heard in user-created videos. It replaces the company’s existing streaming service Resso, with users of that platform able to transfer to TikTok Music “with the click of a button”. From September 5 onwards, Resso will only operate in India.

According to a representative of TikTok Music, the platform should be seen as “a new kind of music service that combines the power of music discovery on TikTok with a music streaming service offering millions of tracks from thousands of artists”. More information on its global rollout, they said, will be shared “in the coming months”.

The beta launch coincides with news that TikTok has inked a “first of its kind” licensing agreement with Warner Music Group, bolstering the latter music giant’s roster on the former social video app. In a statement, TikTok CEO Shou Chew said: “We are very excited to partner with Warner Music Group to create a shared vision for the future in which artists, songwriters, music fans, and the industry can all benefit from the power of discovery on TikTok platforms.”