Trademark filing suggests a TikTok Music app could be coming to challenge the streaming giants
TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, filed a trademark application for a service called TikTok Music back in May of this year.
The filing, uncovered by Insider, applies the name to a number of services, including a mobile app that allows users to “purchase, play, share, download music, songs, albums, lyrics.”
TikTok is increasingly becoming a way to discover new music, particularly with the younger generation, so launching a dedicated music app within the ecosystem makes a lot of sense.
In fact, ByteDance has already launched a music service in India, Brazil and Indonesia, which goes by the name of Resso.
It’s not clear if TikTok Music would be a rebrand of Resso, but given that ByteDance promoted Resso from within the TikTok app in Brazil – we wouldn’t be surprised if the two apps shared some of the same DNA.
However, the trademark filing suggests the TikTok Music app could have a broader scope, letting users “live stream audio and video interactive media programming in the field of entertainment, fashion, sports, and current events.”
“Typically a company the size of TikTok or ByteDance is only going to file trademark applications for items that they’re seriously considering,” trademark attorney Josh Gerben told Insider.
So, whatever the case may be, chances are we’ll hear something relatively soon. Considering the size of TikTok’s userbase and the effectiveness of its algorithms, there’s every chance it could pose a serious challenge to services like Spotify and Apple music.
