TikTok is chock full of people lip syncing along to a host of songs, so much so that the short-form video app is responsible for catapulting many unknown artists to the top of the charts after their songs go viral on the platform.
But the short-form video app landed in some hot water last year when a group of music publishing companies, including Universal Music Group, threatened to sue the video platform over copyright infringement.
TikTok’s music licensing issues are now a thing of the past as the company inked a multi-year licensing agreement with the National Music Publishers’ Association in 2020. Now, a San Francisco-based startup has arrived to help other social apps avoid similar issues.
Songclip’s API solution enables companies to integrate popular licensed music as a feature in social apps. This week, the company announced that it raised $11 million in new financing to help those in the music industry protect and monetize their intellectual property.
The Songclip API enables companies to incorporate music into a variety of applications, from photo and video to messaging, dating, social media and gaming apps.
The company works with a host of music publishers including Universal Music Group, Sony Music and Warner Music Group, to name a few.
“[We’ve] reimagined music in a new format designed specifically for social expression, discovery and creation,” John vanSuchtelen, co-founder and COO of Songclip, said in a statement. “Our API and proprietary search engine make it easy for developers to leverage these key moments in any song, allowing for richer consumer interactions.”
The new investment will allow the company to invest in further developing its key product offerings as well as the deployment of its API. The company is also looking to recruit a diverse set of talent as it continues to scale.
To date, Songclip has raised $22 million in venture capital financing.
