TikTok announced a partnership with Apple Music on Wednesday, allowing subscribers to play full songs within the TikTok app.
The collaboration enables music discovery within TikTok while keeping playback and revenue streams tied to Apple Music. It represents a strategic shift away from TikTok’s previous attempts to operate its own streaming service.
Apple Music subscribers can tap a new “Play Full Song” button on the “For You” page or Sound Detail Page. This action launches an Apple Music player to stream full tracks without exiting TikTok.
The feature uses Apple’s MusicKit technology. Playback occurs on Apple Music, and streams are paid within that service.
TikTok and Apple Music introduced “Listening Party,” a feature for real-time listening sessions. Fans and artists can interact during these sessions, creating a social listening experience.
These new features are launching worldwide over the coming weeks. TikTok previously launched and shut down its own streaming service. The company now focuses on driving music discovery within its app.
TikTok previously launched an “Add to Music App” feature for saving tracks to preferred streaming services. The app also has a “Share to TikTok” feature for sharing tracks from Apple Music and Spotify.
TikTok launched the “TikTok for Artists” music insights platform last year. The platform helps artists connect with fans and access performance data about their music and posts.
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