Songwriter Justin Tranter, an early TikTok Songwriter Features user. Photo Credit: Fuzheado
TikTok has officially launched Songwriter Features, which it says will “give due credit on TikTok to the amazing work of songwriters.”
The ByteDance-owned platform formally rolled out the Songwriter Features beta today, pointing to several involved tools. Now, songwriters can request a related profile label, while a Songwriter Music Tab is available to highlight their works side by side with uploaded non-music videos.
As for early users, professionals including Lauren Christy, Toby Gad, and Justin Tranter are already taking advantage of the offering. However, the fresh features remain in “a small-scale, closed beta with a limited number of publisher partners,” TikTok indicated.
On the publisher-partner front, execs from Warner Chappell, Believe’s Sentric, Reservoir, and Kobalt provided statements for TikTok’s release. Warner Chappell is perhaps the most noteworthy of these initial participants.
Recall that the overarching Warner Music inked an expansive TikTok deal in 2023 and then opted against rallying behind Universal Music in its licensing dispute with the app. We also covered TikTok’s contentious negotiations with indie labels – though lingering bad feelings may not extend to the songwriter side.
Without diving too much deeper into the multifaceted subject here, NMPA head David Israelite last month not so subtly called “on recording artists, managers, and record labels to stand with non-performing songwriters whenever and wherever they strike.”
Keeping those points in mind, Gad touted TikTok’s latest music features for enabling “songwriters to step out from behind the curtain and claim ownership over melodies and lyrics they hold so dear.” And Kole praised them as “an important step forward in recognizing and appreciating the creators behind the music that shapes our world.”
“In this ever-changing music business,” echoed Savan Kotecha, “I’m always grateful for those who make a real effort to shine a light on songwriters—who can sometimes get lost in the conversation. I’m especially thankful to [TikTok music publishing partnerships higher-up] Tara Brady and the team at TikTok for constantly finding ways to highlight and support us. This new feature does exactly that—it gives songwriters the platform and recognition they deserve.”
Regarding beta-period enrollment for additional songwriters, TikTok has established waitlists for the States, the EU, and all other markets.
As many know, Songwriter Features are the latest in a line of music-centered expansions for TikTok despite its still-precarious stateside future.
May brought a fresh partnership between the platform and SoundCloud, before TikTok for Artists officially received a global launch in June. And today, TikTok also disclosed the addition of Anghami to its existing Add to Music App. Now, TikTokers can save tracks directly from the video platform to playlists on the Middle Eastern streaming service.
Interestingly, that announcement message further emphasized the aforementioned Believe’s recent artist-services expansion in MENA, applauding the move as “a major milestone.”
