Taylor Swift attended the 66th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 04, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Neilson Barnard | Getty Images
Universal Music Group, the record label for top music artists including Taylor Swift and Drake, has reached a new licensing agreement with TikTok, ending a dispute between the two companies.
UMG announced on Thursday that the licensing deal will result in the return of its artists’ music to TikTok. Earlier this year, TikTok removed songs from artists signed to UMG after the two parties failed to reach a new content licensing agreement, leading to a public dispute.
Music by artists such as Swift and Drake became unavailable on TikTok, which is owned by Chinese internet giant ByteDance. Swift had her music reinstated on the platform on April 12.
UMG accused TikTok of bullying and intimidation during contract negotiations and claimed that TikTok proposed to pay its artists and songwriters at a much lower rate compared to other major social platforms.
The dispute centered around TikTok allowing its platform to feature unauthorized AI-generated songs that undermined artists’ intellectual property. UMG alleged that the platform was “flooded with AI-generated recordings.”
The new deal between UMG and TikTok aims to enhance compensation for songwriters and artists, offer promotional opportunities for their music, and introduce stronger protections regarding generative AI.
Lucian Grainge, chairman and CEO of UMG, stated that the agreement focuses on the value of music, the importance of human artistry, and the well-being of the creative community. TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, expressed commitment to collaborating with UMG to drive value, discovery, and promotion for all of the label’s artists and songwriters.
Both parties pledged to work together to ensure that AI development in the music industry respects artists and ensures fair compensation for their work. Additionally, TikTok will collaborate with UMG to eliminate unauthorized AI-generated music from its platform and implement tools to improve artist and songwriter recognition.
A correction has been made to the headline and text of this story to clarify that Taylor Swift’s music was restored on TikTok on April 12.
Universal Music Group, the record label for top artists like Taylor Swift and Drake, has reached a new licensing agreement with TikTok, resolving a dispute that led to a temporary removal of UMG artists’ music from the platform. The deal includes provisions to improve compensation for songwriters and artists, promote their music, and protect against unauthorized AI-generated songs. The agreement emphasizes the value of music, human artistry, and supporting the creative community. Both UMG and TikTok are committed to collaborating to drive value, discovery, and promotion for artists and songwriters while ensuring fair compensation and protection against unauthorized music.
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