After dominating the short-form video market, TikTok may be considering a music service – TechCrunch

TikTok’s parent company is ByteDance applied for a trademark with the US Patent and Trademark Office in May for a service called “TikTok Music.” I noticed for the first time Business Insiderthe application indicates that the trademark can be applied to a mobile application that will allow users to purchase, play, share and download music.

The short video app is already a popular tool for music discovery, and can often lead to songs gaining popularity after being used in viral videos and trends. A report released by the company last year identified 175 songs that are trending on the short video platform charted on the Billboard 100. In addition, a recent report published a music investor from the UK suggested that songs popular on TikTok attract additional views on YouTube and streams on other platforms such as Spotify.

While TikTok makes these songs popular, it doesn’t have its own music streaming platform — at least in the U.S. — to monetize them. Instead, users turn to popular services like Spotify or Apple Music to play their favorite TikTok songs. However, TikTok’s parent company ByteDance operates a music streaming service called Resa in India, Brazil and Indonesia, and we understand that the possibility of bringing this service to other markets has previously been considered.

A former ByteDance employee told TechCrunch that the company considered launching Resso in various global markets under the moniker “TikTok Music.” In particular, it was looking at launching in developed markets such as the UK and Australia, the source said.

Resso’s app could be a real threat to existing US streamers given its close ties to TikTok and its social media aspects. Resso currently offers a TikTok-like user interface where users can skip songs by scrolling up and down. It also has the ability to comment on songs and albums and edit the covers of users’ playlists — similar to what the trademark TikTok Music offers.

The app has made significant progress in existing markets, mobile data shows. According to analytics firm SensorTower, from January to May of this year, the company recorded 42.3 million downloads from the App Store and Google Play — a 19% year-over-year increase over the same period. The music streaming app has been downloaded by 184 million people in all time.

Submitted by ByteDance lists numerous instances of use of the TikTok Music trademark. One of the uses listed in the application for “TikTok Music” includes an app that will allow users to stream audio and video live, as well as the ability to “edit and upload photos as playlist covers.” The app will also allow users to leave comments on music, songs and albums, according to the document. Another use case suggests that the service could be used for “live streaming of interactive media audio and video programming in the fields of entertainment, fashion, sports and current events.” The statement also suggests that the app can be used to “provide users with podcasts and radio content.” Adding podcast content alongside music will make TikTok Music an even bigger competitor to Apple Music and Spotify.

News of TikTok’s potential future music streaming service comes as the company launches its own music marketing and distribution platform, SoundOn, a few months ago to help more artists get their music heard. The platform allows artists to upload their music directly to TikTok and Resso, in addition to global streaming platforms including Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, Deezer and Tencent’s Joox. With the launch of its own music streaming service alongside SoundOn, TikTok will be able to offer a complete solution for both listeners and artists in the US

TikTok dominated the short video market and became the first app that is not meta-metagraphic reach three billion downloads worldwide, according to Sensor Tower. His height caused abuse Instagram and YouTube rethink their platforms and business approaches because of the threat they face from the short video program. That makes its plans to enter the music streaming space a potential threat to incumbents.

However, it should be noted that TikTok has not been successful in translating all of its services to new markets. The company, for example, recently has closed its UK shopping service after a disastrous launch and employee departures. TikTok employees in the UK have alleged a toxic work culture and breaches of labor law. That could halt plans to bring other services — including Resso, a service run by Chinese tech giant ByteDance — to the U.S. and other regions.

ByteDance and TikTok did not respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment.