TikTok’s SoundOn has seen over 1.1 million artists register to access its services since launching in 2022.
Now, the platform is launching in Germany, the world’s fourth-largest recorded music market.
The Germany roll-out marks the distribution and services platform’s latest expansion following its initial launch in markets such as the UK, US, Brazil and Indonesia, and Australia.
According to its website, SoundOn currently counts 1.158 million “partners and growing”. MBW understands this to mean artists who have registered (i.e. signed up) on the platform.
Of these registered artists, TikTok noted today, SoundOn has seen “hundreds of thousands” of acts release music and generate revenue on the platform.
The launch in Germany will allow local artists to distribute their songs across major streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, SoundCloud, Deezer, Pandora and more.
SoundOn also lets artists upload their music directly to TikTok.
“We are really pleased to launch SoundOn in Germany – one of the world’s biggest and most exciting music markets.”
Nichal Sethi, SoundOn
Nichal Sethi, Head of SoundOn EMEA, said: “We are really pleased to launch SoundOn in Germany – one of the world’s biggest and most exciting music markets. SoundOn provides artists with the tools to distribute their music globally across all major streaming services, ensuring they are paid fairly while supporting their development and visibility.
“By combining global distribution with the unique promotional opportunities available on TikTok, SoundOn enables artists to build sustainable careers and reach audiences at scale. We’ve had global successes already with our artists in Germany – the likes of WizTheMc and Ely Oaks – and can’t wait to break the next independent artist there.”
TikTok cites SoundOn success stories such as Austrian DJ Ely Oaks as having accumulated 770,000 TikTok followers and saw his track Borderline reach No. 17 on German charts after going viral.
South African-German artist WizTheMc also achieved success via SoundOn, with his song Show Me Love feat. bees & honey reaching No. 3 in the singles charts in Germany and the UK. A remix of the song by Tyla generated over 500 million streams on Spotify, helping WizTheMc gain more than 29 million monthly listeners, TikTok said.
“I’m now in the charts from Berlin to Johannesburg and in the US with millions of listeners.”
WizTheMc, Soundon Artist
WizTheMc said (translated to English): “I’ve made music on three continents and always searched for the right vibe.
“The fact that Show Me Love is now triggering such a global moment via SoundOn feels absolutely crazy — but also like the loudest confirmation that music knows no boundaries. I always wanted to make music that feels at home everywhere.”
“I’m now in the charts from Berlin to Johannesburg and in the US with millions of listeners. This shows me that anything is possible if you believe in your vision.”
Ely Oaks added: “For me, SoundOn is the place where my music resonates directly with people. I have the opportunity to get feedback directly from the community, and people decide which songs they really want.”
“SoundOn gives me the freedom to set trends and share my sound without compromise. If you’re honest and just do what you feel, the community grows on its own and celebrates you for who you truly are.”
SoundOn’s expansion to Germany also comes as TikTok recently launched TikTok Pro in Germany, Portugal and Spain, with a built-in charity program called Sunshine Program that lets users support charitable groups.
The German launch comes as TikTok continues to grow its user base in Europe. Last Friday (September 5), the platform reported reaching the 200 million-user milestone in Europe, growing from 175 million last year. TikTok says this is equivalent to almost a third of the continent’s population in the European Economic Area and the UK.
In the DACH region alone, which consists of Germany, Australia and Switzerland, TikTok’s user base has reached over 30 million people, with the majority — or 25.7 million — in Germany.
Data from Oxford Economics suggests that activities of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on TikTok contributed EUR €4.8 billion (approx. USD $5.6 billion) to the economy in Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Belgium. SMEs on TikTok have also created more than 51,000 jobs, the data suggests. TikTok noted in January last year that in Germany alone, SMEs on TikTok added €1.5 billion ($1.8bn) to the economy in 2023 and created 18,600 jobs.
Music Business Worldwide
