“Making more popular music available for brands to use is a huge priority for us, because we think that there’s clearly a lot of value that our user base is putting on those sounds,” Cosgrove said. “So, when a brand has the opportunity to tap into either a song that’s trending or an artist that’s recognizable, they have a better opportunity to really get our user base to stop and engage with their content.”
According to a 2021 Kantar report commissioned by TikTok, 73% of respondents reported they’d be more likely to “stop and look” at a brand’s TikTok ad if it contained audio, and another 88% of respondents said sound is an “essential” element of TikTok content.
Because audio, often music, is so integral to the platform, brands are often stuck using the generic-sounding royalty-free music included in TikTok’s Commercial Music Library, sitting out of TikTok trends that involve clips from popular songs out of the fear that a video containing that audio might result in legal trouble. These fears aren’t unfounded—for example, brands such as Bang Energy and Iconic London were recently sued by major record labels after using copyrighted songs in their videos.
TikTok began piloting the Artist Impact Program in April 2022, partnering with both established artists, including Ciara and Akon, and up-and-coming musicians such as Inci Gurun, also known as INJI. After being added to the Commercial Music Library last April, her song “Gaslight” has been included in more than 3 million videos—including several made by brands—that have collectively amassed 14 billion views in just eight months.
