TikTok markets itself as a music app, but on January 31, 2024, Universal Music Group (UMG), the top record label, will not allow their artists' music to be on the app, which means less music will be available. Let’s dive into it!
UMG has stated a few reasons that they no longer want to license with TikTok such as: artist compensation and protection from harmful effects of Artificial Intelligence. According to UMG, TikTok wants to pay a fraction of the previous deal for their music, and they believe that their artists deserve more. Also, AI has been a big concern for many, and this past year has been a concern for the music industry specifically. People are now able to create music through AI as well as put UMG’s artists in a negative light. UMG states that TikTok is “allowing the platform to be flooded with AI-generated recordings - as well as developing tools to enable, promote and encourage AI music creation on the platform itself” (UMG 2024) in a statement they provided on their website before the contract ended. UMG believes TikTok uses its power to hurt artists.
As of now, UMG is slowly removing their music from TikTok and muting videos that use artists’ music. As a result, people took this and ran with a joke by making videos with uncopyrighted music or even the tiktoker singing the song saying that this is what videos will now look like. Although this is a joking matter for some, for smaller artists signed with UMG, concerns have come up for them since TikTok is used to promote their music. Now, they do not have the right to use it as such, and they will have to find another way of gaining attraction for new releases. Some big artists that are well-known with UMG are Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Drake, and BTS. These artists' music and more will no longer be available on TikTok.
Universal Music Group Open Statement:
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