On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate passed a bill that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the popular app, or it would be blocked in the U.S.

While the legislation would have profound impacts across the tech, political, entertainment, media and marketing worlds, music may be especially affected. TikTok's first incarnation was as a lip-syncing app, Musical.ly, and the app dominates music discovery for young listeners. If the app were banned in the U.S., it would upend the ways artists communicate with their fans, how old songs gain new life (and huge publishing deals), and how 170 million American users discover new music.

Earlier this month, The Times published a long look at the future of TikTok in the music industry. Here are some of the ways Tuesday's news might affect it.

Who voted for this bill, and how would it impact TikTok?

The Senate bill gives TikTok's Chinese parent firm ByteDance nine months to sell TikTok, with a possible three-month extension if a sale is imminent. The bill also stops the company from controlling TikTok's algorithm, its uncannily compelling recommendation engine for new videos. The bill, passed 79-18, was part of a $95-billion package that also provides aid to Ukraine and Israel. The House of Representatives already passed similar legislation last week, citing concerns about data security and foreign influence. President Biden said he will sign it Wednesday.

"Congress is not acting to punish ByteDance, TikTok or any other individual company," said Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, in remarks in the Senate this week. "Congress is acting to prevent foreign adversaries from conducting espionage, surveillance, maligned operations, harming vulnerable Americans, our servicemen and women, and our U.S. government personnel."

How has TikTok responded?

ByteDance has said it is not inclined to sell TikTok to comply with this legislation, and would instead seek to block the law in court.

"This unconstitutional law is a TikTok ban, and we will challenge it in court," TikTok said in a statement. "We believe the facts and the law are clearly on our side, and we will ultimately prevail."

That strategy has been successful in some cases — in November, a federal judge blocked a Montana law that would have banned TikTok in the state.

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