Universal Music Group NV has reached an agreement with TikTok to bring its artists’ songs back to the social media platform, capping a months-long impasse that saw performers such as Drake and Rihanna removed off the network.
The agreement includes increased compensation for composers and performers, new promotional agreements, and safeguards against AI-generated music, the firms said in a statement on Thursday. TikTok announced that artists such as Drake, Rihanna, The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar, and Bob Dylan would be available on the app within one to two weeks.
TikTok has emerged as a significant center for pop musicians to share new music and communicate with their fanbase, with the platform’s more than 1 billion users able to include song clips in the background of their short video posts. However, the world’s largest record label began removing its music from TikTok after months of contract negotiations between the two companies failed.
A month ago, songs by Taylor Swift, the most popular artist in Universal Music’s catalog, reappeared on TikTok; this action threatened to weaken the company’s negotiating position with the social media platform. Swift, whose album The Tortured Poets Department was published in April, maintains autonomous authority over the distribution of her music.
Although the statement released on Thursday was lacking in specifics, the agreement addresses enduring grievances within the music industry. Long have record labels expressed apprehension regarding the platform’s ability to equitably compensate artists for their efforts.
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Additionally, Sony Music Entertainment Inc. withdrew its music from the service temporarily. TikTok was previously accused by Universal Music of “attempting to establish a music-based business without paying fair compensation for the music.”
Why did UMG Pull Songs From TikTok?
UMG(Universal Music Group) began withdrawing the music portfolios of the artists it represents earlier this year after discussions to renew license arrangements with TikTok failed. The previous license arrangement between UMG and TikTok expired on January 31.
UMG also accused the app of providing unequal pay in comparison to other social media giants, failing to safeguard artists from infringement, and actively pushing the development of AI-generated music, which might potentially replace human musicians.
