The biggest music industry news | December 2023 roundup
Image credit: Wes Hicks
The biggest news this month, including new ways for musicians to get paid from use in videos.
Artists get more control on TikTok
TikTok have launched TikTok Artist Accounts with a bunch of tools to empower artists’ presence on the short video platform. Features include a new tag signalling to all visitors to musician’s profiles that they’re an artist. There are also new promotional tools like prioritising artists’ videos on the song page. Artist’s profiles also get a new music tab where visitors can explore their tracks in TikTok’s music library.
Artists need to upload their music to TikTok’s music library to get their Artist Account and the benefits that come with it. You can upload your music to TikTok for free at www.routenote.com. Once your music is on TikTok you can open this link on mobile to gain access to Artist Accounts if you’re in a territory where it is available.
Artists can upload their music to CapCut for free
RouteNote have partnered with CapCut, allowing artists to upload their music for free. CapCut is a sister app to TikTok, allowing users to record and edit short-form videos with a bunch of tools. RouteNote’s partnership allows artists to add their tracks to CapCut’s music library for use in videos. Artists will then get paid when their music is used in a creator’s video.
Spotify are staying in Uruguay
After new copyright laws were announced in Uruguay, the uncertainty led Spotify to threaten removing their service from the country. The Uruguayan government have now clarified the bill and that it is the responsibility of the rightsholders to increase payments to artists. In light of the news, Spotify have confirmed that they will continue to offer their music streaming service in Uruguay.
The 3 major record labels form a new climate collective
Warner, Sony, and Universal have all combined their forces to form the Music Industry Climate Collective. Together they will research the music industry’s impact on the climate and look at ways to counteract their climate impact. They will also use their research to provide advice to to smaller music businesses and independent musicians.
A new playlist for massive, bassy electronic music
RouteNote have just dropped a playlists full of “the BIGGEST and BADDEST heavy hitters of underground electronic music”. Bass Bunker joins RouteNote’s hit playlists featuring the latest and greatest from their very own artists. Bass Bunker will showcase the greatest big dirty beats from their artists and offer electronic music lovers their weekly hit of dopamine.
Stream Bass Bunker on all your favourite music services here.
TikTok’s ‘Add to Music App’ available in new territories
Earliier this year, TikTok added a new button for music lovers. The ‘Add to Music App’ button allows users to immediately add the songs featured in TikTok videos to their music libraries. They’ve partnered with Spotify, Amazon Music, and Apple Music so far. The button was added to more countries last month and is now available in 21 territories worldwide.
Find out which countries ‘Add to Music App’ is available in in our article below.
France propose new streaming tax to displeasure of services
The French government have proposed a new tax on music streaming services. French music streaming service Deezer is amongst those who have pushed back at the plan. Deezer’s CEO described it as the “worst possible outcome”. Spotify have begun disinvesting in the French music industry in response to the proposed tax.
A new Spotify streaming record was broken at Christmas
On Christmas day, a song was streamed for the most time in a single day in the history of Spotify’s service. Of course, that song was Mariah Carey’s festive hit ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’. The track was streamed 23.78 million times on Christmas day, and 23.70 million times the day before on Christmas Eve.
Keep track of all the biggest music news on the RouteNote blog, updated daily.