No Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo music on TikTok: Licensing dispute with Universal gains steam

Music from Taylor Swift, Drake, Olivia Rodrigo and other Universal Music Group (UMG) artists have started disappearing from TikTok. UMG announced in an open letter that negotiations for a renewed licensing deal with the popular short-video platform have reached an impasse. The previous licensing agreement between UMG and TikTok expired on 31st January.

UMG said three “critical issues” have led to its impasse, including “appropriate compensation for our artists and songwriters, protecting human artists from the harmful effects of AI, and online safety for TikTok’s users,” as reported by Deadline.

“TikTok proposed paying our artists and songwriters at a rate that is a fraction of the rate that similarly situated major social platforms pay,” explained the letter.

“Ultimately, TikTok is trying to build a music-based business, without paying fair value for the music,” the letter concluded.

Interestingly, TikTok permits the circulation of artificial intelligence recordings within its content and empowers users to generate AI music directly on the platform.

UMG said that such allowances “massively dilute the royalty pool for human artists, in a move that is nothing short of sponsoring artist replacement by AI.”

Responding to these grievances, TikTok issued a statement on Tuesday, accusing UMG of “greed” and prioritizing monetary gain over the welfare of its artists.

Currently, TikTok videos will mute UMG-owned music and users will be provided with alternative options to replace the removed tracks from other music labels.

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