Songs from artists signed to Universal Music Group have been pulled out from TikTok after the music company and the app failed to reach an agreement over content licensing. A licensing agreement between them expired on Wednesday.
Music by artists, including Taylor Swift, U2, Drake, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, and many more, is no longer available on TikTok.
UMG accused TikTok of attempting to “bully us into accepting a deal worth less than the previous deal, far less than fair market value and not reflective of their exponential growth.”
In an open letter to the artist and songwriter community, UMG said TikTok proposed paying its artists and songwriters “at a rate that is a fraction of the rate that similarly situated major social platforms pay.”
The company vowed to always fight for its artists and songwriters and stand up for the creative and commercial value of music.
TikTok hit back at UMG, saying the group has put their own greed above the interests of their artists and songwriters.
“Despite Universal’s false narrative and rhetoric, the fact is they have chosen to walk away from the powerful support of a platform with well over a billion users that serve as a free promotional and discovery vehicle for their talent,” TikTok said in a statement in response to UMG.
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