In news that will affect… quite frankly, very few people, TikTok has announced the closure of its separate “TikTok Music” streaming app, following several operational difficulties and a lack of user interest.

TikTok Music was initially launched in India in late 2019 under its original name, “Resso,” which coincided with TikTok’s rapid growth in the country. Although TikTok was banned in India in 2020, Resso managed to avoid the same fate.

Despite this, Indian users showed little interest in TikTok’s streaming service. By the time the app was banned by Indian authorities earlier this year, it was already struggling to be seen as a viable alternative in the market.

Last year, TikTok rebranded Resso as “TikTok Music” (a change that may have contributed to its ban in India) and relaunched it in Brazil and Indonesia. The app also expanded access to select users in Australia, Mexico, and Singapore as part of a closed beta test.

However, due to music licensing disputes and difficulties competing with established services, TikTok has decided to refocus its strategy on its main app instead.

According to TikTok:

“We will be closing TikTok Music at the end of November to concentrate on enhancing TikTok’s role in driving greater music listening and providing value on music streaming services for the benefit of artists, songwriters, and the industry.”

The TikTok Music website now displays a notice informing users of its impending closure:

“We regret to inform you that TikTok Music will be closing on November 28, 2024. After this date, access to TikTok Music—including login, subscriptions, and all other functionalities—will no longer be available.”

Users can transfer their playlists from the app until October 28th, and they can also request refunds from the service until November 28th. TikTok will delete all user account information after that date.

As mentioned, this isn’t a significant shift in the broader social media or music landscape, as TikTok Music never truly gained traction as an alternative streaming service.

The idea was for TikTok to strengthen its ties to the music industry by acting not only as a key promotional platform for artists but also as a direct distributor of their work. TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, has attempted a similar strategy in China with another separate streaming app, but Douyin, like TikTok, remains its primary focus and driver of interest.

Ultimately, it was always a risk for TikTok to challenge the established players in the streaming market, and it’s unlikely they are too surprised by the outcome. However, they took the opportunity to try, and while it hasn’t allowed them to expand their empire, it will probably contribute to refining TikTok’s own approach to music.