TIKTOK and Universal Music Group (UMG) announced a new music licensing deal on May 2.
Universal chairman Sir Lucian Grainge said “this new chapter in our relationship would drive innovation in fan engagement while advancing social music monetization.”
TikTok’s CEO Shou Chew agreed and said they were “committed to working together to drive value, discovery and promotion for all of UMG’s amazing artists and songwriters, and deepen their ability to grow, connect, and engage with the TikTok community.”
The companies released a joint statement that includes improved remuneration for artists and songwriters under the UMG umbrella, and will also assuage concerns over the growth of AI-generated content on TikTok.
Millions of videos that use songs from artists under the Universal roster had become muted on the platform prior to this agreement. The music of Universal artists like Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Drake, etc. from its large publishing catalog was turned off on the app.
But several weeks ago, Swift returned her music on the app ahead of her “The Tortured Poets Department” album release. It was unclear how she did it but Swift owns her own master recordings that are also administered by Universal’s publishing arm.
In their joint statement, the companies said they were “working expeditiously to return music by artists represented by Universal Music Group and songwriters represented by Universal Music Publishing Group to TikTok in due course.”
