Photo Credit: Triller
Triller and SoundCloud have partnered to promote emerging artists with curated playlists.
The dedicated SoundCloud-curated playlists will feature prominently on Triller. It gives SoundCloud artists access to Triller, a TikTok-like competitor that bills itself as a new video experience. The SoundCloud playlist will appear on the Triller app’s Music Discovery page.
“Updated monthly with fresh, standout tracks hand selected by music teams at Repost, SoundCloud’s creator services division, all tracks are available for Triller creators for use in their own video content within the app,” the press release reads.
SoundCloud’s huge catalog of tracks is important for its growth, since Universal Music Group abruptly pulled out of Triller in February. “Triller has shamefully withheld payments owed to our artists and refuses to negotiate a license going forward. We have no alternative except to remove our music from Triller, effective immediately,” UMG said at the time.
Triller CEO Mike Lu seemed taken aback by the abrupt removal when it happened. Triller argued at the time that it did not need a deal with UMG to continue operating as it has been since “relevant artists are already shareholders or partners on Triller, and thus can authorize their usage directly.” Triller has denied withholding payments from UMG artists like Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and Lil Baby.
The SoundCloud and Triller partnership helps fill the gaps that UMG leaves after pulling out.
Artists can now link their Triller profile with their SoundCloud profile. That means fans can now move more easily between the two services and contribute to their favorite artists using SoundCloud’s new direct-artist payments royalties system.
“With a shared goal of showcasing established and emerging talent, this partnership puts artists first – just like Triller does,” says Mahi de Silva, CEO of Triller. “In front of a global audience, emerging artists will now have the opportunity to develop a Triller fan base that is empowered to create, share, and connect.”
SoundCloud has over 250 million tracks from 30 million creators on the service. SoundCloud also partnered with Twitch during the pandemic to fast-track its artists onto the streaming platform. This new Triller partnership will open SoundCloud artists to the viral nature of short-form video platforms.
Triller has achieved over 300 million downloads, with celebrities like Alicia Keys, Cardi B, Marshmello, Roddy Ricch, and Eminem using the app to create their own music videos. Triller is owned by TrillerNet, a larger company consolidating technology and content platforms in a new vision.