AJ Exclusivity and TikTok Distribution

Envato Authors AudioJungle
#1

Hey AudioJungle exclusive authors,

I’ve recently noticed that CdBaby and other distribution platforms started to send released tracks to TikTok music archive; CdBaby in particular did this automatically.

Could that use inside TikTok videos be considered a sync type of use and so could it be clashing with AJ exclusivity?

I’ve downloaded the app and you can choose from a list of included tracks, just like you do with YouTube music library. This similarity makes me think that exclusive AJ authors should opt out from TikTok distribution (I’ve opted out for now) but I’d like to know your thoughts, especially if someone got in touch with support already.

3 Likes
#2

Hey Luca,

From your description, it would indeed be a breach of the exclusivity agreement. We were asked to opt out of the Youtube Music Library, when ContentID service providers included music submitted to them in that library, and it should be the same in this case.

4 Likes
#3

Of course you have to opt out. You don’t want your music to be used for free in videos. Just playing your music on platforms is another thing.

#4

TikTok isn’t competition for Audio Jungle because when you make a TikTok video, there is no option to use background music from any other source other than what’s available within the TikTok app.

#5

Sure, but it doesn’t change the fact that the music is available within the app. That’s clearly a breach of the exclusivity agreement. When you’re exclusive, your music shouldn’t be made available on other platforms or apps.

3 Likes
#6

I’m sure you’re right Pierre. I’m just sayin’ that since putting your music on TikTok has no effect on Envato one way or the other, I can’t see why they would have a problem with it. Unless there’s something that I’ve not thought of, which is often the case!

#7

Well actually, it does have an effect on Envato and us authors.
TikTok can have their own closed system, precisely because music is being provided to them by such schemes. Social media, web platforms and apps are a huge segment of our customers. If those platforms closed down to any external music but what’s from their own library, then AJ would be irrelevant… more important, authors revenue would become virtually non-existent, through such deals. I bet those TikTok revenue from CDBaby will be underwhelming… and that’s an understatement.

1 Like
#8

And imagine other services which could start using whole aggregators catalogs. This would start a new era of audio-video-on-demand with an incredibly wide catalog of musi tracks ready-to-use. This is a conflict of interest to AJ.

2 Likes
#9

See! There’s that thing I was talking about!

1 Like
#10

I think it is a good place to remind that EXCLUSIVE authors should remove TikTok from distribution in their aggregators like Cd Baby or Distrokid etc.

Aggregators distribute music to TikTok which allows to use for free registered music which is strictly prohibited by Envato exclusive policy AND is kind of an ill-considered, bad, harmful thing for every author.

1 Like