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In a move aimed at resolving tensions between the two entities, Universal Music Group (UMG), the record label representing renowned music icons such as Taylor Swift and Drake, has reached a fresh licensing agreement with TikTok. This agreement signals the end of a dispute that had arisen between the two companies. According to a statement released on Thursday, UMG announced that the licensing deal would pave the way for the return of its artists’ music to the TikTok platform.
Earlier in the year, TikTok removed songs by artists under UMG’s roster due to a failure to reach a consensus on a new content licensing agreement, leading to a public dispute. Among the affected artists were Taylor Swift and Drake, whose music became inaccessible on the platform owned by Chinese internet behemoth ByteDance. Swift’s music was reinstated on April 12th.
UMG leveled allegations against TikTok, citing instances of bullying and intimidation during contract negotiations. UMG further asserted that TikTok proposed compensating its artists and songwriters at a significantly lower rate compared to other major social platforms. The core of the dispute centered around TikTok’s alleged allowance of unauthorized artificial intelligence-generated songs on its platform, undermining artists’ intellectual property rights. UMG claimed that the social media platform was inundated with such AI-generated recordings.
The new agreement between UMG and TikTok seeks to enhance compensation for songwriters and artists, offering promotional avenues for their music and implementing “industry-leading protections” concerning generative AI. Lucian Grainge, UMG’s chairman and CEO, emphasized that the updated deal prioritizes the value of music, celebrates human creativity, and safeguards the interests of the creative community.
“We anticipate working closely with the TikTok team to champion the interests of our artists and songwriters, fostering innovation in fan interaction, and advancing social music monetization,” remarked Shou Zi Chew, CEO of TikTok. He affirmed the platform’s dedication to collaborating with UMG to enhance value, facilitate discovery, and amplify promotion for all of UMG’s exceptional artists and songwriters.
TikTok and UMG expressed their commitment to fostering responsible AI development in the music sector, ensuring that artists receive fair compensation for their work. Additionally, TikTok pledged to collaborate with UMG to eradicate unauthorized AI-generated music from its platform and introduce tools aimed at enhancing artist and songwriter recognition.
