Universal, TikTok strike new deal to end feud that kept Taylor Swift off the platform

May 02, 2024

Lauren Taylor Anchor

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor), William Jackson (Producer), Jake Maslo (Video Editor)

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Artists from Universal Music Group (UMG), including Taylor Swift, Drake, Adele, Bad Bunny and Billie Eilish, are set to return to TikTok following a new licensing agreement that resolves a three-month dispute. Announced Wednesday, May 1, the deal addresses past concerns over artist compensation, the use of AI and user safety on TikTok.

Universal Music Group and TikTok have reached a new licensing agreement, ending their months-long dispute and bringing the label’s catalog back to the short-form video platform.

More: https://t.co/tCzP2O4xrH pic.twitter.com/FDEhGMC7BY
— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) May 2, 2024

This agreement specifically tackles issues with generative AI by ensuring future AI developments within the music industry will protect artists’ and songwriters’ creative rights and financial earnings.

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TikTok CEO Shou Chew emphasized the platform’s commitment to drive value and promote UMG’s talent, including removing unauthorized AI-generated content and enhancing attribution for artists and songwriters. The deal also aims to create a safer online community by preventing fake merchandise and ticket sales scams.

Additionally, the agreement introduces new monetization avenues and global promotional campaigns for UMG artists, aiming to leverage TikTok’s vast user base for greater artist visibility and engagement.

Our core mission is simple: to help our artists & songwriters attain their greatest creative and commercial potential, which is why we must call time out on TikTok.

Learn More: https://t.co/yJDQ7FdgNc pic.twitter.com/Lhluz1ez5H
— Universal Music Group (@UMG) January 31, 2024

TikTok currently outpaces YouTube as the most common music discovery source for teens in the U.S.

However, the future of TikTok in the U.S. remains uncertain. Recent legislation requires TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell to a U.S. owner within a year or shut down, posing potential challenges to such agreements.

TikTok maintains it has not and will never share U.S. user data with the Chinese government.

Tags: Artificial Intelligence, ByteDance, China, Generative AI, Music, music rights, Shou Zi Chew, Taylor Swift, TikTok, YouTube

[KARAH RUCKER]

ARTISTS FROM UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP — INCLUDING TAYLOR SWIFT, DRAKE, ADELE, BAD BUNNY AND BILLIE EILISH ARE SET TO RETURN TO TIKTOK FOLLOWING A NEW LICENSING AGREEMENT THAT RESOLVES A THREE-MONTH DISPUTE.

ANNOUNCED WEDNESDAY — THE DEAL ADDRESSES PAST CONCERNS OVER COMPENSATION, THE USE OF AI, AND USER SAFETY ON TIKTOK.

THIS AGREEMENT SPECIFICALLY TACKLES ISSUES WITH GENERATIVE AI BY ENSURING FUTURE AI DEVELOPMENTS WITHIN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY WILL PROTECT ARTISTS’ AND SONGWRITERS’ CREATIVE RIGHTS AND FINANCIAL EARNINGS.

TIKTOK’S CEO EMPHASIZED THE PLATFORM’S COMMITMENT TO DRIVE VALUE AND PROMOTE UMG’S TALENT —

INCLUDING REMOVING UNAUTHORIZED AI-GENERATED CONTENT AND ENHANCING ATTRIBUTION FOR ARTISTS AND SONGWRITERS.

IT ALSO AIMS TO CREATE A SAFER ONLINE COMMUNITY BY PREVENTING FAKE MERCHANDISE AND TICKET SALES SCAMS.

ADDITIONALLY, THE DEAL INTRODUCES NEW MONETIZATION AVENUES AND GLOBAL PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGNS FOR UMG ARTISTS —

AIMING TO LEVERAGE TIKTOK’S VAST USER BASE FOR GREATER ARTIST VISIBILITY AND ENGAGEMENT.

TIKTOK CURRENTLY OUTPACES YOUTUBE AS THE MOST COMMON MUSIC DISCOVERY SOURCE FOR TEENS IN THE U.S.

HOWEVER, THE FUTURE OF TIKTOK IN THE U.S. REMAINS UNCERTAIN.

RECENT LEGISLATION REQUIRES TIKTOK’S PARENT COMPANY, BYTEDANCE, TO SELL TO A U.S. OWNER WITHIN A YEAR OR SHUT DOWN, POSING POTENTIAL CHALLENGES TO SUCH AGREEMENTS.

TIKTOK MAINTAINS IT HAS NOT AND WILL NEVER SHARE U.S. USER DATA WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT.

I’M LAUREN TAYLOR — FOR MORE STORIES LIKE THIS ONE — DOWNLOAD OUR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP.