TikTok has been the focus of much political attention recently due its base in China and allegations (which it denies,) of data sharing with the Chinese state. The video-sharing app has said it will move its HQ, but it could even be bought by a U.S. firm. Music Business Worldwide offered a number of reasons why that company could, and maybe should, be Apple.

TikTok’s global addictive appeal is no accident. The app’s advanced artificial intelligence capabilities and powerful recommendation algorithms are key factors behind the 68 billion hours spent by its users in the app last year. Case in point: respected investor and tech industry commentator Connie Chan recently wrote a piece in which she called TikTok “the first mainstream consumer app where artificial intelligence is the product”… In an increasingly competitive music streaming market, with Apple Music’s primary rival Spotify known for excelling in content recommendation, TikTok’s AI baked into the the Apple Music ecosystem could be Spotify’s kryptonite.