Apple Music and Spotify might have a new competitor soon.
In May, a trademark application with the US Patent and Trademark Office was filed by TikTok's parent company, ByteDance. They filed for "TikTok Music."
The filing said that the service would "let users purchase, play, share, and download music," as per The Verge.
"TikTok Music" would also let users create, share, and recommend playlists. Moreover, it would let users leave comments on music, in livestream audio, and video.
In November, the company also filed for a "TikTok Music" trademark in Australia.
ByteDance Has an Existing Music Streaming Platform in Some Countries
Music streaming is not new for ByteDance because in 2020, the company established a music streaming app, Resso, in India, Brazil, and Indonesia.
Some of the features of Resso are similar with what are included in the "TikTok Music" filing. These features include the "ability to create playlists, share songs on social media, and interact with the app's community," according to The Verge.
ByteDance even attempted to establish a "ByteDance Ecosystem" by utilizing TikTok to connect existing users to Resso. The TikTok app in Brazil has a button that links users to Resso.
When you click the button, you will be redirected to Resso and you will be able to listen to the full version of a song.
Across India, Brazil, and Indonesia, Resso had over 40 million monthly users as of November 2021, as per The Verge (via The Information). This number is likely to increase.
According to a report by The Verge (via Insider), the active users of Resso per month increased by 304 percent from January 2021 to January 2022 in India alone.
The 304 percent increase is almost ten-folds higher than Spotify's 38 percent growth in the country during the same period of time.
It's is unknown yet if ByteDance is planning to develop a music streaming app based on the Resso structure. It is also possible that the company will come up with something entirely different.
Read Also: Facebook's 'Collab' Guide: How to Make Music on Upcoming Tik-Tok Inspired App
TikTok Music Would Provide a Complete Solution for Both Listeners and Artists
A few months ago, ByteDance launched its own music marketing and distribution platform, SoundOn. This platform is launched to help more artists get their music heard.
SoundOn lets artists upload their music directly to TikTok and Resso. If "TikTok Music" would be pushed, alongside SoundOn, TikTok would be able to provide a complete package for both listeners and artists in the U.S, as per TechCrunch.
TikTok is the first non-Meta app that reached three billion downloads worldwide. Since its launch, it has dominated the short-form video market.
The growth of the platform pushed Instagram and YouTube to reconsider their services and business model. Therefore, TikTok's plan to venture in the music streaming space posits a potential threat to the existing apps in the market.
However, some recent events proved that TikTok is not successful all the time when it comes to establishing its services to new markets.
Recently, its shopping service in the U.K. shuttered after a disastrous launch and employee walkout. The alleged toxic work culture and employment law violations led for the employee walkout.
Regarding the filing of the trademark, according to TechCrunch, ByteDance and TikTok did not respond when asked for a comment.
Related Article: A Song From 'Despicable Me 3' Has Become a TikTok Trend - What is It?
