Amazon Music and Twitch said they're teaming up to bring live streaming to the on-demand music platform. Twitch's live streaming functionality is now incorporated into the Amazon Music app on iOS and Android, allowing fans to engage with artists and switch between live streams and recorded tracks. The feature is available across all streaming tiers. "The combination of live streaming, coupled with the on-demand playback of songs on Amazon Music, is groundbreaking," Amazon Music director said. "We're providing artists with more tools to instantly engage with fans, and this new feature couldn't arrive at a more crucial time in the industry. More than 1,000 artists have already connected their Amazon Music accounts to Twitch, and this is just day one." The feature is designed to help fill the void left by the cancellation of countless in-person events and shows due to the coronavirus pandemic. The goal is to provide a platform for artists to "establish a real-time connection with their existing fans on Amazon Music." Amazon Music subscribers can opt to get push notifications from artists they follow when they go live on Twitch.

TikTok creators can soon sell merch directly in the app with new Teespring integration

TikTok creators will soon be able to sell merchandise they design and create directly to fans via the app itself. Creator commerce platform Teespring is set to roll out the integration soon, and it’s currently being tested with a limited group of users. Thousands of TikTok creators have already partnered with Teespring to start creating merchandise they can sell to their followers. The integration will allow “creators to create their own products on Teespring, push it directly to TikTok, and then have fans be able to buy products directly through TikTok,” Teespring CEO Chris Lamontagne told The Verge. It marks the first time that creators can sell their own merchandise directly through TikTok. Currently, more than 7,000 TikTok creators in the US have access to the private beta. They’ll be able to create and design “from a choice of 180 different products as well as the opportunity to create bespoke products which are completely unique to them,” according to a press release. TikTok launched a $200 million creator fund with a goal of ensuring that some personalities can sustain themselves financially solely through TikTok.