TikTok learned that building a music service is hard, so it’s integrating YouTube instead

The ongoing rivalry between TikTok and YouTube presents few opportunities for partnerships between the two platforms, but they are now working together in the world of music streaming. YouTube Music has been added as one of the available export destinations for the “Add to Music App” feature TikTok launched in 2023.

The Add to Music App function looks to capitalize on TikTok’s cultural status by making it easier for viewers to locate, save, and stream the songs they hear while scrolling through the For You Page. The feature’s initial lineup of music apps included three of the most popular streaming hubs in the business: Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.

An update to Add to Music App brings YouTube’s audio hub into the fold. “Add to Music App continues to deliver real results for the music industry, with hundreds of millions of track saves translating into billions of streams on music streaming services,” TikTok Global Head of Music Business Development Tracy Gardner said in a statement. “By partnering with YouTube Music, we’re expanding this impact globally, helping artists reach new audiences while giving fans a seamless way to engage with the music they discover on TikTok.”

Notably, the list of export destinations for Add to Music App does not include any TikTok-owned streaming services. When the feature first debuted, TikTok was actively developing a music hub in regions outside of the U.S. Just two years later, however, TikTok Music shut down for good.

With that experience — and some other contentious dealings with major labels — TikTok seemed to learn that maneuvering through the recording industry is easier said than done. That’s a lesson YouTube has already learned. Before YouTube Music became the platform it is today, it went through years of development hell. During that period, interference from industry bigwigs was constant, especially before YouTube hired Lyor Cohen as its Global Head of Music.

Rather than endure that arduous process itself, TikTok has apparently concluded that it’s better off directing its users to existing services. The result is a win-win for both TikTok and YouTube: The former platform can continue to boost its FYP faves while the latter enjoys a traffic bump.