đ Available on: All plans (Startup, Growth, Enterprise, Agency, and Custom)
Archive's 'Usage Rights' feature lets you request content usage rights directly from Social Profiles within your Archive dashboard. This feature lets you repurpose content more quickly for your brand marketing campaigns while staying compliant with copyrights. Let's delve into how you can make the most of this feature.
Note: Requesting usage rights typically grants permission to use on all digital media, unless specified otherwise. You can customize the message to reflect the specific rights you need and move the conversation from there.
However, please note that the feature is designed for tracking purposes and that Archive does not provide legal counsel or guarantees regarding usage rights.
Requesting Usage Rights
Find the TikTok content you want to repurpose within the app, then click "Request Usage Rights" at the bottom of the content.
If the request needs review before sending (rather than setting a status you already know from an existing contract), select "Request Usage Rights" from the dropdown.
In the window that opens:
If you have more than one TikTok account connected, choose which account to send from.
Under TikTok Scope, select what you're requesting: Usage rights, Spark Code, or both.
Personalize your message, explaining why you want to use their content, how you plan to use it, and any other relevant details.
Pro Tip: Click "Save as Default" to make this your default request message for next time.
Click "Submit a Request" (or "Add to Queue" if the creator isn't currently reachable by automatic DM â see Common Questions below).
Common Questions
When requesting usage rights from a creator on TikTok, does it send them a DM?
Yes, it does send them a DM, but there are a few important things to know:
When it works automatically:
You need to have your TikTok account connected through TikTok integration v1 (this is key)
The creator's Direct Messages settings must be set to receive messages from "Everyone"
You need to be logged into your TikTok account
When it doesn't work automatically: If the creator's DM settings are set to "Suggested friends" or "Friends" (instead of "Everyone"), the system can't send the DM automatically. In this case, the request gets added to your Manage Rights table with an "In Queue" status. You'll then need to either:
Copy the message and send it manually via email or DM
Wait until the creator adds you as a friend
Important note about TikTok v2: If you only have TikTok v2 integration enabled in your workspace (not v1), then Archive can't send DMs on your behalf at all. You'll need to send all usage rights requests manually.
So the short answer is: yes, it sends a DM automatically, but only if you have TikTok v1 integration connected and the creator's settings allow messages from everyone. Otherwise, you'll need to handle it manually.
Notes:
Please make sure you're logged in to your TikTok account to make sure you're requesting rights using the right account.
Only accounts connected with TikTok integration v1 can send direct messages via Archive.
Links sent to TikTok creators are not clickable on TikTok. Instead, they must copy and paste the link into a browser.
We can only send DM request messages to creators whose Direct Messages settings are set to receive messages from "Everyone". Otherwise, the request will be added to the Manage Rights table with the status "In Queue." You can then copy the request message and send it via email or wait until the creator adds you as a friend.
When settings are set to "Suggested friends" or "Friends," the brand must be a mutual friend with the creator or appear in their list of suggested friends
We're still working on making the process easier for our customers.
What happens if the DM never goes through?
Archive retries the automatic DM every 2 hours for up to ~3 days. If none of the retries succeed, the status changes to Failed. From there, click Open DM on your Manage Rights page to send the message manually through TikTok.
I only have TikTok v.2 connected â can I still request usage rights?
Not through the automatic DM flow â that requires TikTok v.1, since v.2 can't send messages on your behalf. But you're not stuck: on the content's dropdown menu, choose Set Status Manually instead of Request Usage Rights. That option doesn't require a TikTok integration, so you can still log a request's scope and status even on a v.2-only workspace.
The practical flow: DM the creator on TikTok yourself, then use Set Status Manually to record the outreach (and later the approval) so it's tracked in Archive. Select the scope, pick the status (Requested, In Queue, Approved, Rejected, or Expired), and add the Spark Code if you're marking Approved for that scope.