How TikTok’s Commercial Music Library Turns Viral Songs into Brand Revenue Streams

If you’re a sports fan on TikTok, you’ve almost certainly heard the song “Orla” by British DJ and producer Nimino. Since its release in early March, the track has soundtracked nearly 150,000 videos on the platform.

For Nimino, that doesn’t just mean more exposure—it means money. Many of the sports accounts using his song are businesses, including Atlético de Madrid, the “Men in Blazers” podcast, Major League Baseball, the LPGA, and the Philadelphia Eagles. These brands accessed “Orla” through TikTok’s growing Commercial Music Library (CML), which ensures artists are paid when their music is used commercially.

@atleticodemadrid Feliz cumple, Moliii! 🥰🎂 Te queremos mucho ❤️🤍 #atleticodemadrid #molina #argentina #cumpleaños #birthday

♬ Orla – nimino

The CML provides TikTok’s roughly 7 million business users with access to 1.5 million tracks—not just generic royalty-free music, but songs by label-signed artists like Nimino. This allows businesses to capitalize on TikTok trends or even start their own.

Why Businesses Can’t Use TikTok’s General Music Library

Unlike regular users, business accounts on TikTok cannot use music from the platform’s general library without securing commercial rights. This process is costly and time-consuming, requiring approval from both the track’s label (for the recording) and publisher (for the songwriting).

“A lot of the brands on TikTok are actually small-to-medium businesses that don’t necessarily even know about music rights. Even if they did and they went knocking on the door of the major rights-holders, they wouldn’t be given the time of day.”

Tracy Gardner, TikTok’s global head of music business development

TikTok’s commercial library was initially designed for production music—songs owned outright by companies that can easily license them for commercial use. Today, production music still accounts for about one-third of the CML. However, TikTok’s commercial offerings now include licensed pop, electronic, and wrap music from label-signed artists.

TikTok Expands Partnerships to Grow the Commercial Library

Since 2023, TikTok has worked with Warner Music Group and its publishing arm, Warner Chappell Music, to expand the CML. The platform now negotiates partnerships with labels, distributors, and publishers to clear music and add rights holders, growing the library to include 125 million associated rights holders.

For rights holders, inclusion in the CML creates a new revenue stream—similar to sync licensing in TV or film, but at the scale of viral content. While TikTok does not disclose payment details, it confirms that rights holders receive a revenue share from paid ad buys and organic content posted by business accounts. Earnings increase as more people use the song.