HFA’s Rumblefish, a longstanding authority in music rights administration, has partnered with ByteDance to support two of its flagship platforms: TikTok and CapCut. Known for delivering tech-enabled rights management solutions across the music industry, Rumblefish will offer “data, licensing, and royalty management services to support ByteDance’s TikTok and CapCut products," the company said in a statement. This includes direct licensing opportunities for publishers, sound recording-to-composition data linking, usage tracking, royalty calculation and distribution, copyright research, and publisher support.
“We are thrilled to offer the music publishing community the opportunity to license both TikTok and CapCut,” said Lauren Apolito, EVP of Strategy and Business Development at HFA’s Rumblefish. “With our unparalleled reach to the publishing market and our robust and scalable infrastructure, HFA’s Rumblefish is uniquely positioned to handle the massive scale of ByteDance’s licensing and data processing needs across two of its key product offerings on a global basis.”
Rumblefish’s deep industry roots, bolstered by over 90 years of music rights expertise, help it navigate the complex, often fragmented world of digital music licensing. Its involvement allows platforms like TikTok and CapCut to maintain music-heavy user experiences while ensuring songwriters and rights holders are fairly compensated.
“At SESAC Music Group, we’re working to leverage our global tech and data platform to assist innovative hyperscalers like ByteDance to utilize music by obtaining authorization directly from songwriters and music publishers,” said John Josephson, Chairman & CEO of SESAC Music Group. “With our best-in-class licensing, data, and royalty administration capabilities, we help drive new sources of revenue for songwriters and music publishers.”
Jordan Lowy, Global Head of Music Publishing Licensing and Partnerships at ByteDance, added, “ByteDance is committed to making it simple for users to discover, create, and share content powered by music. We are looking forward to working with HFA’s Rumblefish to help streamline global music rights administration, and to ensure seamless and timely remuneration for rightsholders on the platform.”
Rumblefish, part of the Music Services Division of SESAC Music Group, continues to support a broad range of digital-first companies—from streaming and social media platforms to background music services, karaoke apps, and A.I.-based music tech. With this partnership, they further extend their footprint in the global music licensing ecosystem, offering scalable infrastructure for an ever-evolving digital landscape.
