Beleaguered TikTok Unveils Sony Deal

Video-snippet sharing sensation TikTok on Monday announced a deal to give users access to Sony Music Entertainment's massive archive of hit tunes.

The companies did not disclose financial terms of the agreement, which will let clips of music owned by Sony be used in TikTok posts.

Social media platforms have wrangled with music companies over royalties that should be paid to artists when their work is shared in posts.

"We are thrilled to enter in to this agreement with Sony Music so that we can continue to work together to connect the incredible roster of Sony artists in the US and across the globe to new audiences and harness the power of TikTok," said TikTok global head of music Ole Obermann.

"Especially during this time when the artist community is challenged to find new ways to reach fans with their music, we are committed to working together to do just that."

Sony artists range from Michael Jackson and Frank Sinatra to Beyonce, John Legend, Twice, and Pitbull.

TikTok and Sony will also work together to promote artists and help them engage audiences on the platform, as the pandemic has put the brakes on live concerts.

The move comes with TikTok battling the US administration's effort to ban the popular app due to its Chinese connections or engineer a sale to American investors.

A US federal judge last week issued an injunction temporarily blocking an executive order by President Donald Trump aimed at banning TikTok, throwing up a legal roadblock ahead of a November 12 deadline.

The order would have knocked the Chinese-owned video-sharing app offline by cutting it off from US businesses providing website hosting, data storage and other fundamentals needed to operate.

The Trump administration has insisted on a need to ban TikTok, which has 100 million users in the US, due to national security concerns.

TikTok has repeatedly defended itself against allegations of data transfers to the Chinese government. (AFP)