TikTok is testing limits on music, and users are tuning out

A test by TikTok, which limited access to licensed music for some users in Australia, was designed to show labels and publishers that it didn’t need music as much as music needed it. So far, it’s proven just the opposite.

During the test, some users couldn’t access most music distributed by the majors – Universal Music, Sony Music, and Warner Music – whereas others experienced only partial limits.

The limits affected both creators and users.

Bloomberg analyzed data from research firm Data.ai which showed a decline in Australian users for three consecutive weeks after the test started. TikTok’s “stickiness” – the amount of time spent on the app – also diminished.

“The number of users and sessions rebounded slightly in the fourth week but remained below pre-test levels,” reported Bloomberg.

One less ally

TikTok’s effort to sideline music also makes it far more likely that the music industry – a powerful lobby usually in favor of free speech and technical innovation – will stay on the sidelines as Congress and the White House consider a full TikTok ban.

MORE: 4 THINGS TO DO NOW BEFORE TICKTOK IS BANNED

Bruce Houghton is the Founder and Editor of Hypebot and MusicThinkTank, a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, President of the Skyline Artists Agency, and a professor for the Berklee College Of Music.