TikTok users will no longer be able to create videos featuring songs by Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and other Universal Music Group artists because TikTok’s access to Universal’s extensive artist list ended on Wednesday after months of contract negotiations between the two companies failed, on Thursday, the 1st of February, reports Reuters.
As of February, TikTok will no longer feature songs by Taylor Swift and Billie Ailish, but also The Weekend, SZA, Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Drake, Adele, as well as Latvian Dons, Singapūras Satīns and songs by many other artists from around the world.
Photo: screenshot from a post on X (formerly Twitter) @ashleyrcarman
The dispute between the companies arose during the Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles.
On Thursday, Universal announced that its contracts with TikTok had expired due to TikTok’s unwillingness to adequately compensate artists and songwriters, address the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on artists and resolve online security issues for TikTok users.
Universal has urged TikTok to compensate artists in a manner comparable to other social media platforms, given that TikTok currently accounts for only 1% of the label’s revenues.
The record company has also expressed concern that TikTok allows too many MI-created records on the platform, which reduces the royalties to artists. In addition, Universal has raised the issue of “problematic content”, citing the case of sexualised images of Billie Eilis that were circulated on the site.
While TikTok declined to comment on Thursday,
the platform has previously accused the record label of putting money before artists, saying Universal’s actions are self-serving and not in the interests of artists, songwriters and fans, highlighting the platform’s success in reaching more than a billion users.
The company also has said that they have been able to sign contracts with other record companies that “put artists first”.
In its November report, TikTok highlighted its role in creating popular hits and discovering new artists, stressing that TikTok helps users discover music and engage with artists. The report also pointed out that its users are more likely to use paid music streaming services, thus creating value for artists, as per Reuters.
Taylor Swift’s TikTok account already on Thursday displayed a warning: “Music is currently unavailable” and several users’ video music was removed ‘due to copyright’.
idk what’s going on w the universal and tiktok drama but this is gonna massively affect artists promo cos wdym tiktoks muted dylan’s own videos to her own songs ???? pic.twitter.com/bQV4sxbUcl
— ! phee (on tour) (@444phee) February 1, 2024
This development, removing the soundtrack to chart-topping songs, has surprised and disappointed users who frequently use music on TikTok for trends.
Some users expressed shock and joked that “unfortunately” they might have to switch to the “not so cool TikTok alternative Instagram Reels”, writes Reuters.
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