ByteDance has informed users it is killing off the TikTok Music service, with November 28, 2024 slated as the shutdown date.
The company made the announcement on its website.
Tune in to our chat on TikTok Music’s sudden shutdown!
We are sorry to inform you that TikTok Music will be closing on 28 November 2024.
We would like to thank you for all of your support, and we hope you enjoyed the music. For more information, please click Help.
TikTok has been struggling on multiple fronts, with the company facing a potential ban in the US. At the same time, TikTok has had issues with the music industry, with Universal Music Group pulling its catalog from the service in early 2024, before the companies managed to come to an agreement.
In a statement to TechCrunch, TikTok said it was shutting the service down to better focus on driving value to existing music streaming services.
“Our Add to Music App feature has already enabled hundreds of millions of track saves to playlists on partner music streaming services. We will be closing TikTok Music at the end of November in order to focus on our goal of furthering TikTok’s role in driving even greater music listening and value on music streaming services, for the benefit of artists, songwriters, and the industry,” Ole Obermann, TikTok’s Global Head of Music Business Development, told the outlet.
As TechCrunch points out, TikTok’s legal issues in the US are likely a significant factor in the company’s decision to shutter its music service. With the entire platform’s future very much in question in the US, it puts the company at a huge disadvantage when it comes to negotiating content deals with other industries.
Only time will tell if the music service will reappear in the event TikTok prevails in its legal fight to stay alive in the US.