TikTok Music recently made headlines as it announced its closure, marking the end of its attempt to transition from a popular social media app to a music streaming platform. Users were informed that all accounts would be shut down by November 28, with user data and login information being permanently deleted.
For Google subscribers, any remaining subscription that extends beyond November 28 will be automatically refunded. Alternatively, users can request a refund through Google Play before the shutdown date. Apple users, on the other hand, must reach out to Apple support before November 28 in order to receive a refund.
It’s important to note that once the refund process is initiated, access to the premium service will be discontinued. Additionally, those who wish to transfer their playlists from TikTok Music to another music streaming platform must do so by October 28 to avoid losing their curated collections.
TikTok Music was initially introduced in Indonesia and Brazil back in July 2023, taking the place of another music platform known as Resso, which was owned by ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok. Following its successful beta testing in Australia, Mexico, and Singapore, the platform was officially launched in those regions in October of the same year.
Despite ByteDance’s efforts to trademark the name “TikTok Music” in 2022, the platform never made its way to the United States, leaving many American users without access to its features.
The closure of TikTok Music raises questions about the challenges that social media platforms face when trying to expand into new territories and industries. While TikTok itself remains a popular app for short-form video content, the music streaming market proved to be a more difficult landscape to navigate.
As users bid farewell to TikTok Music and begin the process of transitioning to other platforms, it will be interesting to see how this development impacts the overall music streaming industry and if any new players will emerge to fill the void left by TikTok’s departure from the music scene.
