TikTok is conducting an experiment to determine the significance of music in the app by limiting the number of songs users can upload.
Some songs will not be available for use and the experiment is currently only being carried out on a select number of users in Australia, with plans to expand to other countries.
TikTok stated that the experiment is a part of their efforts to analyze how music is accessed and added to videos and to enhance the Sounds Library.
However, major music labels are worried that the company will use the experiment's results as a reason to pay them less.
There is a disagreement between music publishers, who view music as central to TikTok's success, and the company, which sees music as only one aspect of the overall entertainment experience.
The outcome will impact the ongoing dispute between the company and music rights holders, who are pushing for a larger share of advertising revenue.
Music labels also want TikTok to increase its investment in paid streaming and connect to Resso, a music service owned by ByteDance, to tap into the music-streaming industry.
The experiment may support the claims made by the music industry if usage decreases.
