If you have been with us for any amount of time, you know that we deeply advocate for musicians to invest in music catalog and music companies that will give you a compounded return on your investment. It was proven that music is a resilient asset during the pandemic. People will stream music when things are going well and when things are looking dismal. Big capital has been actively buying up catalog ever since. Investment will be a strong stream of income for you overtime and should absolutely compliment your gigging, affililate marketing, sync licensing, merch selling, fan subscriptions and royalty payouts.
That said, as it relates to the IPO that Triller has been trying to launch for the last almost two years, there are some bumps in the road you should be aware of. Let's get straight to it.
Triller's Bold Claim
Triller, the LA-based TikTok rival, recently made headlines by filing an S-1 Form with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In that filing, they boasted about amassing over 550 million user sign-ups since their launch in 2015. That's a hefty number, no doubt.
The Doubts Surface
But hold on a minute. App analytics firm Apptopia isn't buying it. According to a TechCrunch report, Apptopia's estimate for Triller's mobile downloads since its inception stands at just 73.2 million. That's a far cry from Triller's claim. Even taking into account that Apptopia is only counting mobile useage, it still is a great disparity from 550 million. And this isn't the first time Triller's user numbers have come under scrutiny.
Previous User Count Controversy
Back in 2020, Triller made waves by announcing they were "the number-one app worldwide in all categories" with a whopping 250 million downloads. However, Apptopia's estimate at that time was a mere 52 million downloads, roughly 80% lower than Triller's own figures.
Legal Troubles Looming
In their latest S-1 filing, Triller didn't shy away from revealing that they're tangled up in lawsuits and other legal matters. These legal battles can be costly and time-consuming, with the potential to harm their business.
One such lawsuit involves Phiture, a Germany-based app services firm that Triller had partnered with. Phiture alleges that Triller owes them over $132,000 in missed payments. Additionally, Triller recently settled with Sony, agreeing to pay them almost $5 million.
A Dubious IPO?
All these legal woes and doubts about user numbers raise questions about Triller's upcoming IPO. Is this IPO an exit strategy for founders and investors to recoup their investments and let the market pay for it?
If Triller should manage to launch, should you jump into this IPO anytime soon? Well, it's a bit of a gamble right now, we would not recommend it for our indie client base. As indies we have to be conservative in our investments. This is not a platform that holds Tier 1 catalog or a platform that has really proven itself over time so we would rate it as a wait and see.