Following its reputation as a
real-time hub for music exploration, TikTok is implementing new features designed to appoint credits to singer-songwriters whose original recordings are being shared and reworked by other users.
According to the ByteDance-owned company, the TikTok Songwriter Features suite of tools aims to help highlight the works
songwriters have written or co-written, while sharing stories about their creations, their careers, personal lives, and overarching musical catalogue.
For the first time on the app, songwriters can register for a Songwriter Account, which TikTok says will identify
them as a “Songwriter” under their profile. A dedicated Music Tab will spotlight a selection of the tracks the Songwriter has written and/or co-written.
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Therefore, influencers who rack up millions of views on the platform, causing a songwriter’s music to go
viral, won’t reap all the credit. By providing users with a tab showcasing the people behind the music’s exigence, songwriters may have a better chance of building their fanbase on the
app.
The social media company says it developed these new features in response to feedback collected from a recent survey, in
which 871 songwriters shared their thoughts about music sharing, as well as “18 in-depth interviews.” Responses drove TikTok to improve discovery and monetization opportunities for
original songwriters.
Additionally, the company looked at a recent songwriter report conducted by MIDia Research,
which shows that 80% of songwriters post on social media in relation to their music-making careers, and nearly a quarter of respondents said that building a social media brand was among their top
goals of the year.
The survey also highlighted TikTok’s popularity among the global songwriting
community, with over half of all full-time songwriters that post content on social media choosing TikTok as a consistent platform to share their work.
Since its launch in the
U.S., TikTok has become a leading digital space for music discovery, heavily impacting what ends up on the Billboard charts.