TikTok and DistroKid have extended the scope of their existing alliance, announcing a new partnership to ‘fast track’ the creation of official TikTok Artist Accounts for DistroKid members.
The latest collaboration grants DistroKid members access to a suite of artist-specific features through DistroKid’s dashboard to help them connect with fans on TikTok.
Previously, obtaining an official TikTok Artist Account could take weeks. The new partnership reduces this timeframe, enabling DistroKid members to establish their accounts in just hours, according to a press release on Thursday (July 18).
The streamlined process unlocks a range of artist-centric features, including a dedicated Music Tab, prominent displays for New Releases and By Artist content, the ability to share Behind the Song insights, and tools for Fan Spotlight, Ticketing, and more. Ultimately, the partnership aims to bridge the gap between DistroKid’s thriving artist community and TikTok’s global audience of music enthusiasts.
“It’s now faster than ever for any artist to create their official TikTok Artist Account directly through DistroKid, reducing the process from weeks to just hours.”
Phil Bauer, DistroKid
“TikTok is excited to partner with DistroKid to make it even easier for millions of artists to access powerful and easy-to-use tools to fuel their growth on TikTok, drive increased consumption of their music and grow their fanbases,” said Jay Bae, Global Head of Music Partnership Development at TikTok.
Phil Bauer, President of DistroKid, added: “It’s now faster than ever for any artist to create their official TikTok Artist Account directly through DistroKid, reducing the process from weeks to just hours.
“Building on our long history of collaboration, DistroKid members now have unique access to tools and features for promoting their music on TikTok’s leading discovery platform.”
“Using the TikTok Artist Account is a game changer,” said NERIAH, a Los Angeles-based pop artist. “I cannot stress this enough; it offers so many new tools that truly help promote your music and grow your fan base.”
The partnership between DistroKid and TikTok dates back to 2019, when DistroKid became the first distributor to facilitate independent artist music uploads onto TikTok. DistroKid members have also benefited from a separate deal that grants access to their music within TikTok’s Commercial Music Library (CML). This library offers brands a curated selection of pre-cleared music for use in their TikTok advertisements.
In 2023, the two companies joined forces again, making millions of tracks by DistroKid members available on TikTok Music, the platform’s new premium subscription streaming service currently in beta testing across five countries. Additionally, DistroKid members can use ByteDance‘s video editing tool, CapCut, to incorporate their music and utilize DistroVid for full-length music video distribution on TikTok Music.
Founded in 2013, DistroKid says it currently handles an estimated 30-40% of all new music globally. It provides musicians, managers, and record labels with online tools and services including music distribution, monetization options, direct-to-fan sales channels, on-demand merchandise, website building tools, metadata customization, and promotional resources.
For TikTok, the partnership with DistroKid marks its latest venture after announcing on Tuesday (July 16) that it has partnered with global events marketplace Eventbrite to simplify event promotion and creation for the vast TikTok community.
It follows similar partnerships with ticketing companies AXS and CTS Eventim in April and with Ticketmaster in 2022.
Music Business Worldwide