Universal Music Group, home to renowned artists like Taylor Swift and Drake, has reached a resolution with TikTok, the popular social media platform. Their new licensing agreement signals the end of a disagreement that caused a temporary removal of UMG artists music from TikTok.
In their announcement on Thursday, UMG expressed relief that their artists’ music will once again be available on TikTok. The dispute arose earlier this year when TikTok removed songs from UMG artists due to failed negotiations on content licensing terms.
The absence of music from artists like Swift and Drake on TikTok, a platform owned by ByteDance, caused considerable attention. Swift’s music was eventually reinstated on April 12th.
UMG accused TikTok of employing aggressive tactics during contract talks and criticised their proposed payment rates for artists and songwriters, which were significantly lower than those offered by similar social media platforms.
Central to the disagreement was TikTok’s alleged allowance of unauthorised AI-generated songs on its platform, which UMG argued undermined artists intellectual property rights. They claimed TikTok was inundated with such recordings.
Universal Music Group and TikTok have reached a new licensing agreement, ending their months-long dispute and bringing the label’s catalog back to the short-form video platform.
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Now, with this new agreement in place, both parties seem to have found common ground, ensuring that UMG artists music will once again be accessible to TikTok users.
UMG and TikTok’s latest agreement is set to revolutionise how songwriters and artists are compensated, while also opening up new promotional avenues for their music. This deal focuses on enhancing the value of music, emphasising the importance of human creativity, and safeguarding the interests of the creative community, according to Lucian Grainge, UMG’s chairman and CEO.
Lucian Grainge expressed excitement about collaborating with TikTok to advance the interests of artists and songwriters, as well as to new approaches to fan engagement and music monetisation in the digital age.
TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew responded
TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, echoed this sentiment, emphasising TikTok’s dedication to fostering value, discovery, and promotion for all of UMG’s exceptional talent.
Both parties have committed to ensuring that advances in AI technology within the music industry prioritise artists’ rights and fair compensation. This includes actively removing unauthorised AI-generated music from the platform and implementing tools to enhance the proper attribution of artists and songwriters.
By working together, TikTok and UMG aim to create an ecosystem that not only supports artists financially but also celebrates their creativity and contributions to the global music landscape.
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