TikTok Introduces Songwriter Features to Spotlight Credits and Bolster User Profiles on the Platform
In a groundbreaking move to support music creators, particularly songwriters, TikTok has unveiled its new Songwriter Features. These innovative tools offer significant benefits and unique functionalities designed to enhance the visibility, recognition, and monetization opportunities for songwriters.
The new features, launched in beta today, aim to highlight and give credit to the work of songwriters and their music. TikTok's global head of music publishing licensing and partnerships, Jordan Lowy, expressed his passion for supporting songwriters at TikTok, while Laura Willoughby, director of global creative services at Warner Chappell Music, championed the initiative as one that enhances in-app songwriter and music discovery.
### Enhanced Discovery and Recognition
Songwriters' musical works and shared content are now centralized in one place on TikTok. This allows them to showcase and promote the tracks they have written or co-written, making it easier for fans and users to discover their music catalog. Furthermore, TikTok provides direct accreditation for songwriters within the app, highlighting their contributions alongside performers, helping them gain recognition and build their individual fan base.
### Monetization Opportunities
TikTok aims to increase monetization for songwriters by expanding ways for them to benefit financially from their music’s use on the platform. This includes licensing deals and royalties paid when creators use their music, providing songwriters with more potential to earn on TikTok.
### Profile Building
The new features enable songwriters to share stories about their work, their music, and their lives, deepening fan engagement beyond just the music itself.
### Key Features of TikTok's Songwriter Tools
- **Songwriter Label:** A label appears under the profile of qualified songwriters, clearly identifying them within the community and increasing their visibility. - **Songwriter Music Tab:** Songwriters get a dedicated tab on their profiles where they can showcase all the tracks they've written or co-written. - **Integration with Creator Content:** Songwriters’ original content and musical works appear side by side on their profile, amplifying their storytelling and promotion opportunities. - **Beta Access and Expansion:** Initially available in beta to selected songwriters and publishers, such as Lauren Christy and Toby Gad, this feature is expanding with a waitlist for others interested. - **Data and Insights:** TikTok’s broader music insight platforms help songwriters access data about their music’s performance, followers, and reach on the platform, allowing for more informed promotional strategies.
These enhancements are a result of TikTok’s extensive research and engagement with the songwriting community, ensuring that the platform aligns closely with songwriters’ needs and goals for visibility and income.
In conclusion, TikTok's Songwriter Features improve discovery, recognition, monetization, and fan engagement for music creators by spotlighting their work prominently and offering tools to showcase their contributions and career narratives within the TikTok ecosystem. The response from the songwriting community has been overwhelmingly positive, with notable songwriters such as Kole, Kelly Clarkson, Meghan Trainor, Ingrid Michaelson, Jason Mraz, Mimi Webb, Savan Kotecha, Usher, Britney Spears, One Direction, Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber, Maroon 5, Demi Lovato, Tate McRae, and many more expressing their gratitude for TikTok's efforts to highlight songwriters.
Songwriters can now showcase their musical works on a dedicated tab within their TikTok profiles, making it easier for users to discover their music catalog ("Songwriter Music Tab"), and TikTok offers direct accreditation to highlight songwriters' contributions alongside performers, which helps them gain recognition and build their individual fan base ("Direct accreditation").
Songwriters not only have the opportunity to benefit financially from their music's use on TikTok through licensing deals and royalties ("Monetization Opportunities"), but they can also share their stories and Deepen fan engagement beyond just the music itself ("Profile Building").
