TikTok has announced a new multi-year partnership with the licensing tech company Chordal to bring its InstantClear technology to the platform’s Commercial Music Library. This move will help brands easily find pre-cleared music for their ads, while also giving artists a chance to earn money from their songs more efficiently.
The InstantClear system, launched earlier this year by Chordal, lets music rights holders automatically approve their tracks for TikTok’s library, manage their ownership shares, and receive payments without delays. This tech is designed to simplify the process of using licensed music in brand content and short videos.
TikTok’s Commercial Music Library, created in 2023, already offers a wide range of safe-to-use tracks for brands. With Chordal now on board, the music selection is expected to grow, helping labels, publishers, and independent artists unlock new revenue opportunities.
“This is a game changer,”
said Grayson Sanders, CEO of Chordal. “Now, even songs with multiple owners can be quickly added to TikTok’s music catalog and start generating income.
Chris Marion, Commercial Music Manager at TikTok, shared that the goal is to create a safe and diverse music environment for creators and brands. He added, “With Chordal’s help, we’re giving brands better access to music and giving artists more chances to earn.”
This partnership builds on TikTok’s previous music efforts, like its deal with Adobe Express, which brought TikTok’s music tools to content creators via the Symphony Assistant.
Chordal, which recently teamed up with major names like Kobalt, Primary Wave, and Reservoir Media, has a team with experience from Google, Tesla, and Utopia Music. The company says it has spent six years building its tech and raised $4.5 million to develop tools that help music move faster in the digital world.
ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, has also been expanding its music efforts. Earlier this year, it launched a new platform called EasyOde—a rights-cleared service offering high-quality audio for media projects.
With this latest step, TikTok is making it clear: it wants to become the top platform for brands, creators, and musicians to connect through licensed music.
