TikTok and Universal Music Group (UMG) have signed a deal that will allow Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, The Weeknd and other artists to return to the platform. press release. Universal sang songs His music hasn’t been there since, with few exceptions from the artist list in February. Both parties are “working quickly” to bring back content on the platform, which is now home to more than a billion users.
A key part of the contract is protecting the artist from generative artificial intelligence. “TikTok and UMG will work together to ensure that AI advancements in the music industry protect human artistry and the economy that flows to these artists and songwriters,” the companies said. “TikTok is also committed to working with UMG to remove unauthorized AI-generated music from the platform, as well as tools to improve artist and songwriter attribution.”
Also part of the deal is TikTok’s recently introduced “new monetization opportunities.” expansion into e-commerce. Reportedly, TikTok has added analytics, integrated ticketing, “Add Music to app” and more. will also help artists by providing tools around.
Universal took a drastic step to attract music earlier this year, forcing the platform to mute videos or replace tracks with selections from other labels. “As our negotiations continued, TikTok tried to bully us into accepting a deal that was cheaper than the previous deal, well below fair market value and did not reflect their exponential growth,” UMG said.
Last month, Taylor Swift’s songs returned to TikTok, presumably because she has full control over her catalog and was able to secure a separate deal. Some songs by other UMG artists, including Ariana Grande, have also started appearing on the platform.
Controversy seems like water under the bridge, but that’s the least of TikTok’s problems right now. Recently, the US Congress voted in favor of the bill TikTok will be banned in a year if owner ByteDance doesn’t sell the app.
