TikTok has entered into a direct global licensing deal with a prominent independent India-headquartered record label, Tips Music.
The partnership, announced on November 25, will make over 31,000 Tips-owned songs accessible to TikTok users worldwide, excluding China and India.
The blanket licensing deal between TikTok and Merlin officially expired on October 31, after TikTok scrapped re-licensing discussions with the org, blaming “operational challenges with Merlin in the past where music that is not quality controlled for copyright is delivered”.
Tips’ direct deal with TikTok means that the company has become the latest in a string of independent music companies to confirm that they’ve struck direct deals with TikTok, including United Masters, a Merlin member, and Ditto Music, in the wake of its split from Merlin.
Tips said the partnership with TikTok provides TikTok users seamless access to Tips’ music library that features genres from Bollywood classics to regional language hits.
Founded in 1988 by Kumar Taurani and Ramesh Taurani, Tips Music’s portfolio includes soundtracks from films such as Khalnayak, Raja Hindustani, Raaz, and the recent Ponniyin Selvan series. Over the decades, Tips has collaborated with Indian artists including Alka Yagnik, Kumar Sanu, Arijit Singh, and A.R. Rahman.
