TikTok and DistroKid Join Forces to Speed Up Artist Account Creation

TikTok, the popular short video platform owned by ByteDance, has announced a strategic partnership with the music distribution service, DistroKid. This collaboration is designed to speed up the creation of official artist accounts for DistroKid members, a process that used to take up to 30 days. By fast-tracking this process to just hours, TikTok is enhancing its platform for musicians, enabling them to showcase their new music, catalog, and behind-the-scenes footage more efficiently.

Earlier, it would take nearly a month for TikTok to process the necessary documents when an artist applied for the special artist tag. However, with this new collaboration, DistroKid members who pay a $22.99 annual subscription fee can now see their official artist accounts created within hours. This development is a significant win for independent musicians looking to gain visibility quickly and capitalize on TikTok's massive user base for promoting their music.

Phil Bauer, the president of DistroKid, highlighted the benefits of this partnership, stating that it is now “faster than ever for any artist to create their official TikTok Artist Account directly through DistroKid”. Such a rapid setup reduces the waiting period from weeks to mere hours. Given TikTok's status as a leading discovery platform, this new streamlined process offers independent musicians unique tools and features to promote their work more effectively.

Last October, ByteDance had also partnered with DistroKid to enable independent artists to make their songs available on both TikTok Music and the video editing app CapCut directly. This has contributed to the visibility and reach of indie music on these platforms, fostering a supportive ecosystem for emerging talent. The latest development continues to build on this long-standing collaborative history, enhancing opportunities for artists even further.

In addition to its collaboration with DistroKid, ByteDance operates its music distribution service called SoundOn, which launched in 2022. While SoundOn provides similar services, the accelerated account creation process through DistroKid underscores ByteDance’s commitment to supporting independent musicians on multiple fronts. By simplifying the path to creating official artist accounts, TikTok bolsters its position as a key platform for music discovery and promotion.

In conclusion, the partnership between TikTok and DistroKid is a game-changer for independent musicians. The fast-tracked process for creating artist accounts empowers artists to swiftly leverage TikTok’s expansive and engaged audience. As ByteDance continues to innovate and collaborate, the music industry stands to gain, with independent artists finding more streamlined paths to success and recognition on global platforms.