The move could give one of the world's most valuable start-ups more options for the music used on its video-streaming apps TikTok and its Chinese version Douyin. Many videos on the service use popular songs whose rights are controlled by large record companies.
ByteDance, Newton-Rex and Jukedeck - whose website has been taken offline - did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Wednesday. Its videos rely heavily on music, with users often setting comedy antics and dancing moves to popular tunes. Videos can be removed if the music is reported for copyright infringement.Matthew Brennan, founder of tech consultancy China Channel, said while TikTok and Douyin were evolving to include longer-form video content similar to that available on other platforms like Alphabet Inc's YouTube, music was central to its user experience.