• by Colin Kirkland , Staff Writer, May 17, 2023

Just a few days after announcing its #NewMusic hub, an in-app spot highlighting songs from both emerging and established artists (like the Jonas Bros and Miguel, who championed the launch), TikTok launched a music-focused feature geared toward brands: the Artists Impact Program.

It shouldn’t be a surprise to brands interested in advertising on TikTok that the video sharing platform is hyper-focused on entertainment, with sound being an integral part of attracting user attention (88% of TikTok users say sound is essential to the in-app experience; 68% remember a brand better when they feature songs they like in videos, per TikTok).

Which is why TikTok originally launched its Commercial Music Library, a collection of over one million songs and sounds that pre-cleared for advertisers and brands.

Now, the music library is expanding via the Artist Impact Program, which invites artists to monetize their music on the platform by earning a cut of the revenue generated from brands’ videos containing their songs.

TikTok says this will incentivize artists “to be discovered and re-discovered in markets around the world” –– a statement that could easily be applied to TikTok’s most recent music-centric updates.

The #NewMusic hub, for example, aims to help artists of all kinds “grow their fan bases and connect with their audience” and a new “Work with Artists” option invites musicians to offer incentives to users for adding their tracks to TikTok clips.

“TikTok is already a destination for artists who want to preview their newest works,” said TikTok’s global head of music operations Paul Hourican in a release. “This new feature gives artists a new way to connect with our global community.”

The Artist Impact Program, however, is focused specifically on brand-to-artist collaborations and revenue sharing, directly within the Commercial Music Library.

TikTok has signed a number of global distribution services with the likes of Believe, DistroKid, Vydia, Sub Pop, and many more to “fuel the pipeline of talent and artist-driven music on the Commercial Library, giving artists the opportunity to tap into advertising budgets from brands featuring them in their TikTok campaigns.

“We are looking to help evolve the sync industry to take advantage of the speed and scale of digital advertising and short-form video,” said TikTok’s director of commercial music and creative licensing Bryan Cosgrove.

It’s smart for TikTok to continue investing money and resources into its music features, especially when revenue sharing is involved, as it helps incentivize artists to pursue more opportunities on the app, while brands can better connect with younger users.