The social music world gets a refresh that might finally put real credit where it is due.

If you love discovering music on TikTok and care about the artists and songwriters behind those viral loops, there is good news on the horizon. Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) has renewed and expanded its global publishing deal with TikTok, and it is all about better songwriter crediting, clearer data and stronger rights for creators. This is a rare moment where the back-end of the music industry gets as much attention as the front-end trends we all dance to.

Under the updated agreement, BMG gets expanded reporting and attribution standards that give it more detailed insight into how songs are used on TikTok. That means artists and songwriters get more visibility when their music is used in videos, trends and viral challenges. It is a win for transparency in a world where music sometimes feels like it disappears into a black box of streams and views.

Both sides are talking up the partnership as a way to raise the standard for how music rights are managed across digital platforms. TikTok’s global head of music business development, Tracy Gardner, said the deal shows how much the platform and BMG trust each other and see songwriters as central to music discovery on social media. Meanwhile BMG’s executives stress that the focus is on protecting rights, making sure credits are clear and adding real value for creators in the fast-moving online space.

This matters because TikTok is not just another app. It is a music discovery engine that can turn five-second snippets into global hits. Creators who once felt unseen now have more tools to claim their work and get noticed by listeners and industry players alike. Features that help credit songwriters on profiles and highlight their contributions are already rolling out on TikTok, and this deal gives that momentum a structural backbone.