TikTok will discontinue its music-streaming application, TikTok Music, on November 28. This marks the end of a four-year streaming experiment by its parent company, ByteDance. 

The app, which combined social features with music streaming, launched in July 2023 in Indonesia and Brazil and later expanded to Singapore, Australia, and Mexico.

Ole Obermann, TikTok’s Global Head of Music Business Development, told Business Insider that the closure is to focus on “furthering TikTok’s role in driving even greater music listening and value on music streaming services, for the benefit of artists, songwriters, and the industry.”

The app’s performance in its active markets has been mixed. On Apple’s app store, TikTok Music ranks 28th among music-streaming apps in Indonesia and 71st in Brazil. It doesn’t appear in the top 100 in other operating countries.

TikTok’s venture into streaming aligned with its established role in music discovery. 

Songs gaining popularity on TikTok are often charted on the Billboard Hot 100 and Spotify Viral 50. The company has developed various music-related initiatives, including a song-distribution tool called SoundOn, a partnership with SiriusXM for a radio station, and collaborations with major artists on promotions.

However, TikTok’s relationship with the music industry has faced challenges. 

A contract dispute with Universal Music Group earlier this year temporarily removed songs by artists like Taylor Swift and Drake from the platform. The dispute was resolved in May with an updated agreement.

Moving forward, TikTok plans to concentrate on its “Add To Music App” feature, which allows users to add or pre-save tracks from TikTok to other streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music.

Separately, TikTok is tackling a political challenge in the U.S. 

Recent legislation signed by President Biden could ban the app unless ByteDance divests its ownership. TikTok has filed a lawsuit to block this legislation, with a potential ban looming as early as January 2025 if legal efforts fail.