TikTok’s latest feature allows music fans to “Share on TikTok” from Spotify and Apple Music | TechCrunch

TikTok on Thursday introduced a new feature that will more closely link its app, which already influences which songs are trending on social media, to the streaming services where users discover and play that music. who you like. With the introduction of the new “Share to TikTok” feature, music fans will be able to share songs directly from Apple Music and Spotify to the short-form video app, including by sending to Your For You feed, their Stories, or DMs. (direct messages).

Shared content may include songs, albums, playlists, and more, and will link to a music streaming service. This allows users to move between their favorite music app and TikTok to continue interacting with content. By doing so, TikTok gets more ability to connect users with their favorite songs and artists. This is something it was already doing thanks to the nature of its app, which allows music tracks to be added to users’ videos, where they end up driving TikTok trends.

With “Share to TikTok,” users will now be able to send a feed or TikTok Stories, and can use the popular green screen feature to display content or take advantage of Photo Mode, TikTok’s we. In Spotify, users can share music, podcasts or audiobooks by clicking the “Share” button, or they can access the share icon in the lower right corner of the “Now Playing” screen “.

A similar feature is available with Apple Music’s Share Sheet, where users will be presented with different options to Send a Video, Send a photo, or share music in a Message.

Over the years, TikTok’s growing popularity has led to its ability to change the music industry as a whole and how people discover new music. As Business Insider recently reported, popular songs on TikTok tend to end up on the Billboard 100 or Spotify Viral 50, and 67% of app users are likely to search for music after hearing songs on TikTok. The company’s relationship with music labels, artists and distributors also helps keep the app full of new releases.

For a while, TikTok’s parent company ByteDance considered taking advantage of TikTok’s power directly by going head-to-head with Apple and Spotify with its streaming app, TikTok Music. The app was tested in several markets, but the company later decided to shut down its global efforts in September.

Instead, TikTok is focused on driving music fans to its app to be discovered. Working towards this goal, TikTok had previously launched the “Add to Music App” feature that allows TikTok users to save the song they found on the app to their favorite music streaming service.

“Today’s launch of ‘Share to TikTok’ is the latest example of our continued commitment to supporting music discovery and artist promotion in partnership with music streaming services. ,” said Ole Obermann, TikTok’s Head of Global Business Development, in the announcement. Since its launch, the ‘Add To Music App’ has been responsible for hundreds of millions of song saves and billions of streams to our music streaming services. ‘Share on TikTok’ takes the user completely, and will be an amazing way to promote artists and songs to the TikTok community,” he added.

The move could also help ease tensions with streamers, who saw TikTok as a potential new enemy. Now TikTok will actively help drive traffic to and from their apps, instead of trying to steal their customers.

“We already know that creative expression is at the core of TikTok’s user and creator experience, a lesson that is also highly valued by our DSP. [music streaming service] partners,” said Lindsey Kelt Zikry, TikTok’s Head of Global Product Partnerships, in a statement. “Our ‘Share To TikTok’ integration enables seamless sharing of content from music streaming services to TikTok, unlocking a new and limitless form of creative expression for users and creators alike, as well as the ability for artists, writers and podcasters to connect with them. TikTok audience. ”

TikTok isn’t the only social platform that Spotify has added in recent days. It also announced a partnership with Meta for sharing songs on Spotify from Instagram via a tap. Spotify has existing integrations with other Meta applications, as well as Snapchat, X, and others.