Popular music artists like Taylor Swift and Harry Styles from Universal Music Group (UMG) are making their grand comeback on TikTok with a newly signed licensing agreement between UMG and the social media platform. The accord brings an increase in remuneration and promotional opportunities for UMG's talents. Since February when UMG had discontinued its licensing to TikTok, there was a significant void felt in the platform for fans of UMG artists due to disagreements over artist compensation, among other factors. The recently signed pact aims to harness TikTok’s advanced technology, marketing, and publishing capabilities for superior benefits to UMG's artistes and songwriters, in addition to providing unparalleled protections in the context of generative AI as stated in their joint declaration. This comes after UMG had publicly criticized TikTok early this year, alleging that it pays artists a minuscule fraction in royalties compared to other social media platforms. Moreover, it accused TikTok of allowing an overflow of AI-generated music and not taking enough measures to protect users from deleterious content. TikTok refuted these accusations by labeling them as a “false narrative". While the ramifications of the TikTok ban signed into law last month by President Joe Biden is yet unclear, U.S TikTok users can get a sigh of relief for the moment, as they can yet again groove to the music from UMG's portfolio.
Catch the Beat Again: Universal Music and TikTok Strike Licensing Accord
Music by Universal's top stars, including Taylor Swift and Harry Styles, returns to TikTok after the resolution of a licensing dispute.
