Amidst Byte Dance’s fast approaching deadline to sell TikTok in the US, the social media video app has announced a new deal with independent artist distribution platform – United Masters. Emerging details of the deal suggests that we will see a full integration between both services directly through their platforms.
This new partnership will make it easier for artists to generate revenue directly from TikTok streams or any leads to other platforms it may generate.
It equally gives a complete solution for independent artists on TikTok to achieve their highest creative potential while earning and engaging with their fans in real time. TikTok says its new agreement with UnitedMasters will also involve promoting their artists on the video platform. That means artists will have more opportunities to reach new fans who could then, in turn, use the artists’ music in their videos.
In sharp contrast to record labels, artists signed with United Masters invariably keep 90% of their royalties depending on the ownership of the master recording. UnitedMasters currently works with brands like the NBA, Bose, AT&T, the NFL and many others.
According to TikTok, the integration will enable “aspiring stars to fast-track their careers” in the music industry. TikTok will opt all music from its creators who join UnitedMasters into the platform’s commercial music library, with the artist’s permission, giving businesses access to a large catalogue of new sounds to use in their content.
As online streaming completely dominates the market as the primary mode of music consumption, it really begs the question – what is the future of traditional labels when they have to compete directly with platforms? How must they now adapt, to face the music…
