The music industry is moving faster than ever. New platforms emerge, algorithms change, and global audiences shift their listening habits from traditional streaming services to short-video ecosystems and region-specific apps. As an independent artist, producer, or label owner, your success depends on reaching listeners where they spend their time — not only where Western audiences listen, but also where the world’s largest markets are growing.
Today, we’re excited to announce a major milestone for all Rebel Music artists:
Your music can now be distributed to two powerful DSPs in the Chinese market — Douyin and Soda Music.
These platforms belong to the massive ByteDance ecosystem (the company behind TikTok) and represent one of the biggest opportunities for independent musicians in 2024–2025. With hundreds of millions of monthly active users, they open the doors to a completely new audience that most global artists have never reached before.
This article will explain what Douyin and Soda Music are, how they work, why distributing your music there matters, and what this means for your long-term career growth. As a free music distribution service, Rebel Music continues to expand the number of platforms available to all artists at no additional cost — and this update is one of the most important so far.
🌍 Why the Chinese Digital Market Matters More Than Ever
China is not only one of the largest consumer economies on the planet — it’s also one of the most active digital markets. Platforms like WeChat, QQ Music, Douyin, and Kuaishou dominate user behavior in a way that Western platforms simply cannot replicate.
And when it comes to music discovery, Douyin is as powerful in China as TikTok is globally — or even stronger.
Here’s why China is a goldmine for music creators:
- Over 1 billion smartphone users
- More than 750 million daily active short-video consumers
- Extremely high engagement with music-driven content
- Fast viral cycles — much faster than YouTube or Spotify
- Massive preference for instrumental, ambient, and thematic tracks
In other words, China is a market where a single sound or track can skyrocket overnight, generating millions of views and significantly boosting your streaming revenue. More importantly, this visibility can drive long-term playlisting, algorithmic discovery, and fan growth across multiple platforms.
With Douyin and Soda Music now active inside Rebel Music, your songs are no longer limited to Western consumption — they can finally reach an entirely new ecosystem.
🎵 What Is Douyin and How Does Music Distribution Work?
Douyin (抖音) is the original Chinese version of TikTok. While TikTok is restricted or operates differently in several countries, Douyin is fully integrated into everyday life in China. It is widely considered one of the most influential apps in Asia, shaping music trends, memes, marketing campaigns, and viral sounds.
Key facts about Douyin:
- Over 600 million daily active users
- High music-based content interaction
- Direct tie-ins with ByteDance’s music platforms
- A built-in culture of discovering new instrumental and atmospheric music
- Short-form videos heavily depend on unique audio tracks
When your music is delivered to Douyin:
- Users can select your track in their video creation tools
- Influencers can adopt your songs as official audio
- Your track can be added to curated audio libraries
- Algorithms can push your sound based on usage patterns
- Viral growth can spill into other DSPs, even outside China
Because Douyin is deeply integrated with ByteDance’s internal data flows, a track that performs well on Douyin can also gain visibility on TikTok, even without direct promotion.
This is one of the reasons many artists who release ambient, classical, or cinematic music perform exceptionally well on the platform.
🎶 What Is Soda Music and Why Is It Important?
Soda Music is ByteDance’s official music streaming service for the Chinese market — similar to Apple Music or Spotify, but tailored specifically to Chinese listeners. The app is designed to:
- Provide full-length music streaming
- Curate playlists based on Douyin trends
- Integrate influencer-driven tracks
- Offer algorithmic recommendations
- Promote songs that perform well in the short-video ecosystem
If Douyin is the “viral engine,” then Soda Music is the “listening platform” where fans search for full songs after discovering them in videos.
For independent artists, this combination is incredibly powerful:
Short-form content → viral moment → long-term streaming revenue.
And now that your catalog is included on Soda Music through Rebel Music, your tracks can participate in both parts of this cycle.
🚀 How Rebel Music Artists Can Activate These New DSPs
Enabling distribution to Douyin and Soda Music is extremely simple. You don’t need to create new accounts, upload new assets, or edit your metadata.
Just follow these steps:
- Go to Distribution → Channels in your Rebel Music dashboard
- Locate Douyin and Soda Music
- Ensure both are marked as Enabled
That’s it — the rest happens automatically.
Once enabled:
- Your entire existing catalog will be delivered
- New releases will automatically include these DSPs
- Songs will appear on the platforms as ByteDance processes them
- No additional action is required from you
This bulk delivery ensures that older tracks in your catalog can also find new life on these platforms. Many Chinese users love calm, classical, ambient, piano, and cinematic music — which often overperforms compared to Western audiences.
📈 How These DSPs Increase Your Streaming Revenue
Douyin and Soda Music are not like typical services such as Spotify or Apple Music. Their royalty system includes:
- Usage royalties
- Platform-specific payouts
- Potential promotional revenue through high engagement
- Discoverability bonuses (when available)
- Greater long-term listening spillover into other platforms
Even moderate adoption on Douyin can drastically increase your exposure.
For example:
- A song used in 50–200 Douyin videos can reach tens of thousands of views
- A track used by a mid-tier influencer can generate millions of impressions
- Viral audio can spread to other Chinese apps, playlists, and streaming services
When these interactions add up, revenue grows steadily in the background. This is especially valuable for artists who release large catalogs, classical music, piano tracks, experimental soundscapes, and ambient compositions — the exact type of content Rebel Music artists frequently create.
🧭 Why Rebel Music Added These DSPs (and What’s Next)
Rebel Music continues to evolve into one of the most artist-focused platforms available. As a free music distribution service, our goal is not to limit your reach or charge for essential features — we strive to help every artist grow globally without financial barriers.
Adding Douyin and Soda Music is part of a bigger long-term strategy:
- Expanding into Asia
- Increasing access to non-Western audiences
- Opening new sources of royalty income
- Staying ahead of industry changes
- Helping small independent artists compete globally
You can expect more platforms, tools, and features in the upcoming months as we continue expanding internationally.
🏆 Why This Matters for Independent Artists
If you are building a long-term music career, distributing to as many high-quality DSPs as possible is essential. Exposure creates opportunities, and opportunities create revenue. Here’s why Douyin and Soda Music matter especially for indie musicians:
- They’re free to access through Rebel Music
- They provide instant entry into a massive market
- The viral potential is extremely high
- Instrumental music performs exceptionally well
- Chinese audiences love discovering new artists
- There is less competition for Western sounds
- Catalog tracks have a higher chance of suddenly taking off
And most importantly:
Your music becomes truly global.
Platforms like these allow artists with small budgets to compete with major labels — not through marketing money, but through the organic power of algorithmic discovery.
As a free music distribution service, Rebel Music gives you these opportunities without charging extra fees, percentages, or upgrades.
⭐ Final Thoughts: A New Era of Distribution
The addition of Douyin and Soda Music marks a major expansion for Rebel Music artists. With these platforms now active, you’re entering one of the most dynamic music ecosystems in the world.
Whether you create classical piano music, EDM, ambient soundscapes, trap beats, cinematic scores, or experimental tracks, these platforms can significantly widen your audience and increase your long-term revenue.
Now is the perfect moment to:
- Upload new releases
- Enable the new DSPs
- Let your existing catalog work for you
- Explore global markets without extra cost
Your next viral moment may not come from the West — it might come from China, and these platforms give you a real chance to be discovered.