Despite recently expanding its partnership with Warner Music Group, TikTok has unexpectedly laid off seven employees from its music division as part of what the company describes as “efficiency” initiatives. The cuts affected both operational and strategic roles within the music team, including some long-tenured executives who had been with the company since its Musical.ly acquisition days.
Among those affected were Kelly Chen from Senior Product Strategy & Operations and Marisa Jeffries from the label relations department. The layoffs impacted both U.S. and Latin American music teams, spanning executive and mid-level management positions responsible for artist elevation programs and commercial music library projects.
The cuts affected key personnel across U.S. and Latin American teams, including executives handling artist promotion and commercial music initiatives.
The timing of these reductions is particularly surprising given TikTok’s recent expanded agreement with Warner Music Group, which added numerous tracks to TikTok’s Commercial Music Library and launched an initiative called “Elevate” to promote rising musical talent on the platform.
Industry observers note that while the company continues to push its music streaming capabilities, these staffing reductions may signal a strategic recalibration.
These music division cuts represent just a small fraction of broader layoffs throughout the tech industry in 2025, with tens of thousands of positions eliminated monthly across the sector. This trend mirrors the extensive workforce reductions at companies like Amazon, which has cut approximately 27,000 jobs since 2022. TikTok itself has implemented reductions across multiple departments, including e-commerce and content moderation teams, amid share price concerns and corporate restructuring efforts.
The reduced headcount in music operations may impact TikTok’s artist relations capabilities and content curation processes, potentially leading to more automated or AI-driven approaches to music content management. Musicians who had previously leveraged TikTok for sync deals may need to explore alternative platforms to maintain their income streams. Independent artists might consider diversifying to platforms like SoundCloud and Bandcamp that offer community interaction features and direct fan engagement opportunities.
While the U.S. market remains fundamental for major label partnerships, the Latin American cuts could affect localized artist promotion in regions essential to TikTok’s global music streaming ambitions. The company is still actively expanding its TikTok Music service, which initially debuted in Brazil and Indonesia before rolling out to additional countries.
Despite these reductions, TikTok continues to emphasize the importance of blending short-form video with music streaming features, suggesting the company is shifting toward more scalable global music strategies that require fewer personnel to execute effectively.
