TikTok is all about tunes, and the social network has added integration for posting audio directly from streaming services. Share to TikTok is a new feature that will let listeners in Apple Music and Spotify share music to the video platform. The tool can post tracks, albums, playlists, or other content to the TikTok feed, either in FYP or Stories. Streaming audio content can also be shared via TikTok DM.
Even though TikTok has become a popular place to discover and share audio, the company recently announced that its TikTok Music platform would be shutting down at the end of this month; the service never launched in the US. The business has also faced scrutiny for encouraging addictive behavior in its users, as well as posing a potential security threat. The US has considered banning the app, and Canada recently ordered TikTok to shut down its domestic operations.
With TikTok just days away from being banned in the US, users of the app are pushing some previously lesser-known apps to the top of Apple and Google’s stores. The app that has benefited the most so far is a Chinese social media app called “RedNote” or Xiaohongshu, which translates to “little red book.”
The TikTok-like app for shortform videos is currently the number one app in Apple’s App Store and ranked 34th in Google’s Play Store. RedNote is gaining popularity as many TikTok creators have started posting about their experiences trying out the Chinese app. Meanwhile, on RedNote, many creators have shared videos about welcoming “TikTok refugees” to the service.
The app is set up similarly to TikTok, with the ability to vertically scroll a feed of shortform videos based on your interests. Most of the app’s interface is in Chinese, so it can be a little confusing to navigate, though TikTok has some helpful videos that explain how to change the app’s language to English.