Last week, ByteDance, the company known for its social media platform TikTok, quietly launched a comprehensive music licensing platform called EasyOdeThis unveiling, which went largely unnoticed by the media, suggests a strategic pivot for ByteDance as it ventures into the music licensing arena, a sector that is rapidly evolving and filled with potential.

The United States Copyright Office recently disclosed that ByteDance, through its subsidiary Lemon Inc., registered in the Cayman Islands, has filed trademark applications for EasyOde, including its brand name and logoWhile one of these trademark applications has already been approved, the other remains under reviewProfessional media outlets have analyzed this move, recognizing that despite its muted launch, EasyOde could significantly alter the landscape of the global music industry.

What prompts a company that is often referred to as an "APP factory" to enter into such a specialized niche of the music market? The answer traces back to a journey that began four years ago, steered by market needs and evolving technological capabilities.

The inception of EasyOde can be traced back to the 8th China International Copyright Expo in Hangzhou in 2021, where it made its first public appearance under the name "EasyOde." Initially, the platform was intended to incorporate not just an extensive music library but also features for smart content creation, potentially offering users access to thousands of audio tracks, including high-quality music from ByteDance’s own BCD StudioExpectations were high for a 2022 launch, but the reality proved different, leading to a protracted development cycle until the platform’s eventual soft launch this year.

According to information on its website, EasyOde is designed to cater to media projects by offering high-quality music and sound effects from a copyright library of 60,000 songsUsers can upload their video content to receive AI-driven music recommendations while also having the ability to customize music based on specific requirements

Advertisements

Notably, users can upload reference tracks for analysis, underscoring the platform's adaptability to user needs.

The functionality of EasyOde is laid out in a user-friendly manner, categorized into five main sections: playlists, music, music customization, sound effects, and an audio toolboxHowever, users from mainland China are currently unable to register on the platformWithin the platform’s music and sound effects sections, users can add tracks to their shopping cart based on various classifications, such as genre, mood, scene, and tempoThe library includes highly favored tracks widely used in popular short video apps and music created by third-party producers.

A particularly interesting feature is the audio toolbox, which leverages AI to aid users in the music selection process through intelligent recommendations based on uploaded videosFurthermore, an interesting tool for beat detection allows users to upload audio files that are analyzed for structure and beats per minute, enhancing the user's creative experience.

Despite the various functionalities offered by EasyOde, the pricing model remains relatively straightforward, focusing mainly on on-demand purchases and music customization servicesFor instance, commercial licensing for the track “Lazy Sunday” could cost a user about 2,833.92 Hong Kong dollars (around 2,550 yuan), which places it competitively against similar domestic platforms offering diverse pricing tiers.

Competitors such as Vfine Music and 100Audio have set up alternative pricing structures, which may challenge EasyOde's market position, especially when users are looking for more robust subscription-based modelsThe ease of accessing music for frequent use plays a crucial role for content creators heavily reliant on consistent soundtracks, giving those established platforms an edge in flexibility.

Looking deeper, it is evident that the fascinating aspect of EasyOde is not merely its current operations but the innovative development team behind it

Advertisements

According to EasyOde’s guidelines, copyright ownership belongs to ByteDance’s subsidiary BytePlus, which specializes in platform-as-a-service solutions that include personalized recommendation software for AI and data mining purposesThis alignment indicates a heavy investment in AI integration into the music licensing process.

The team responsible for the development of EasyOde has achieved notable milestones in AI music technology, including a project named MeLoDy that was developed last yearSpeculation suggests that such advancements could be significantly incorporated into EasyOde’s functionalities in the near futureA trademark application filed by ByteDance in 2021 concerning a “neural network-based music style transfer method” hints at the sophisticated technological framework that could serve EasyOde’s automated music generation need.

While there is still no evidence that EasyOde’s library contains AI-generated music, industry experts continue to watch the platform closely due to ByteDance’s commitment to expanding its edge in AI technology and the music licensing realm.

The rationale behind ByteDance's entrance into the music licensing sector is underscored by changing dynamics within the global digital content industryThe music licensing market, once considered a "silent gold mine," is now viewed as the "next battleground" rich with opportunityAccording to research from a leading consulting firm, the market for global music licensing solutions is set to reach approximately 75.63 billion yuan in 2024, with projections suggesting a growth to around 108.93 billion yuan by 2030.

As the use of commercial music becomes more standardized across numerous fields, including live streaming and gaming, the value of music copyrights has become increasingly prominentThis growing market reveals significant pain points: smaller enterprises struggle with fragmented licensing arrangements, creators lose substantial earnings to rampant piracy, and users risk legal entanglement over copyright infringements.

Historically, the traditional music licensing models have revolved around a few payment structures, namely prepaid, subscription, and pay-per-use systems, with various price points set by platforms depending on their offerings

Advertisements

The emergence of these flexible business models has paved the way for a collaborative ecosystem beneficial to all parties involvedMoreover, it has facilitated reduced transactional costs while securing unlimited access to extensive music resources for high-volume creators.

Given the intense competition and the years of operational experience among existing platforms, EasyOde must establish its unique positionParticularly for users who frequently utilize music libraries, the lack of a dynamic subscription model could be a potential drawback against its more established rivalsAlthough ByteDance offers a wealth of resources, the platform's existing user base and scope of licensed music have yet to match those of more mature platforms.

Despite these challenges, it’s clear that EasyOde could harness ByteDance's ecosystem for future growthIf the platform successfully integrates with CapCut, content creators could directly access the library within the editing interfaceTikTok's algorithms could promote content using EasyOde music, organically leading to the establishment of a dependency on the platform among Multi-Channel Networks (MCNs). Such moves would encourage rapid user adoption while allowing EasyOde to optimize its music recommendation model based on user engagement metrics.

In addition, TikTok's Commercial Music Library provides a robust entry point for EasyOde, allowing music to be utilized not just for individual creators but also for branding and commercial marketing needsThis ecosystem approach creates a sustainable cycle of creation, distribution, usage, and monetization, putting traditional licensing players on high alert.

Moving forward, EasyOde could venture beyond standard music licensing, reshaping and optimizing the entire music industry chain in accordance with technological trends.

It’s crucial to recognize the implications of EasyOde’s expansion into AI-driven music licensingIf it spearheads advancements in production, licensing, and distribution capabilities, it may affect the landscape for creators

Advertisements

Advertisements