Are you a musician who is curious about how to add your music to TikTok? Here’s what you need to know about TikTok’s new music distribution platform, SoundOn.
TikTok has launched its own promotion and music distribution platform dubbed SoundOn. The service allows artists to upload their music directly to TikTok and its music streaming service, Resso. SoundOn can also distribute music to competing platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Tidal, and many more.
TikTok’s Global Head of Music Ole Obermann says TikTok wants to make it easier for independent artists to get their music on TikTok. Obermann says his company is working with musicians in a unique way. “Through SoundOn we’re going to organize the ecosystem of unsigned artists in a way that doesn’t exist today and has never existed before,” Obermann adds.
TikTok says SoundOn will payout 100% royalties to music creators in the first year. After that, musicians and creators will earn 90% of their royalties after that. SoundOn includes a range of promotional tools and support. So how do you add music to TikTok? Well, SoundOn is the best place to start for now. Here’s how the process works.
How to Add Music to TikTok Using SoundOn
Independent artists can sign up to use SoundOn and distribute their music to many different services. Within the first year of release, TikTok is paying 100% of royalties to artists.
How does TikTok define 100% of royalties? Unsigned artists with no label will receive 100% of their royalties. TikTok says for labels in the US and UK with catalogs up to 500 tracks labels will receive 100% of the royalty payments. Labels in Brazil and Indonesia must contact SoundOn to negotiate.
Distributing on the platform is currently free of charge and all transaction fees are waived by SoundOn. SoundOn also notes that artists will retain all rights and royalties, meaning artists own their masters. By signing with SoundOn, musicians can release their tracks to TikTok and CapCut worldwide, and Resso in Brazil, Indonesia, and India. It also allows artists to opt into all major digital streaming services worldwide.
Once artists sign up for SoundOn, it typically takes about seven business days to review and distribute. SoundOn recommends artist upload their music at least four weeks in advance of release in order to pass content review. Spotify, TikTok, and Resso support timed releases, as well as global and local releases.