Universal Music Group (UMG) recently shared some big news. They will stop allowing their music to be used on TikTok starting February 1st. UMG and TikTok could not agree on how much TikTok should pay to use UMG artists’ songs.
UMG believes TikTok is not paying a fair price. They say TikTok pays much less than other apps like Facebook or YouTube pay to use music. UMG feels TikTok is trying to build a business using music without paying artists properly. This shows the power struggle between music companies and apps over how much music is worth.
Many top hits and popular artists come from UMG. These include Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, and Ariana Grande. If Universal Music Group removes all its songs, there will be way less music available on TikTok. UMG says this will be hard on artists and fans who use TikTok. But they believe pulling the songs is necessary to get TikTok to pay better rates.
About Universal Music Group and TikTok Partnership
Universal Music Group (UMG) is the biggest music company around. They work with huge artists like Taylor Swift, Drake, and Ariana Grande. TikTok depends a lot on music. UMG says most of the videos on TikTok use music. But UMG only gets about 1% of TikTok’s total money from ads and such. To UMG, this shows TikTok does not pay fairly for all the music they use.
Universal Music Group and TikTok originally made a deal to use UMG music in 2021. This deal ended on January 31, 2023. The two companies tried to make a new deal but could not agree. TikTok offered much lower payments than UMG wanted. Now there is no deal, so UMG plans to take away all their artists’ songs from TikTok starting February 1st. This will really change what music is available to use on TikTok.
What UMG and TikTok Disagree On
First, UMG says TikTok offered way lower payment rates than other apps. For example, Facebook and YouTube pay UMG much more to use their music. UMG thinks the rate TikTok offered is unfair.
Another issue is about AI music. TikTok is starting to use artificial intelligence (AI) to make new songs. UMG worries this AI music will mean less money for actual artists. So they don’t want TikTok using AI music along with UMG artists’ songs.
Universal Music Group also says TikTok does not do enough about music copyright law. Sometimes, people use songs without permission on TikTok. UMG wants TikTok to address this unauthorized use more.
Finally, Universal Music Group is concerned about safety on TikTok. They say issues like hate speech and bullying are not dealt with well enough. UMG feels TikTok needs to monitor the app better to protect users.
TikTok sees things differently. They probably feel their payment offer is fair. They also likely want to be able to use AI music if they choose. But UMG feels strongly about all these issues. Since no compromise could be reached, Universal Music Group decided to pull its music off TikTok.
Universal Music Group Artists
Lots of big stars are part of Universal Music Group, including:
- Taylor Swift
- Drake
- Ariana Grande
- The Weeknd
- Justin Bieber
Their songs would disappear from TikTok if UMG removes its catalog.
Smaller, up-and-coming UMG artists would also be affected. TikTok helps new artists get discovered, which UMG says this removal would hurt.
UMG claims TikTok specifically targeted vulnerable new artists when negotiations broke down by removing some rising stars’ songs but not major artists’ songs. UMG saw this as an unfair intimidation tactic by TikTok.
UMG Says TikTok Tried Intimidation
According to Universal Music Group, when it was clear they could not agree, TikTok started playing unfair. UMG claims TikTok suddenly removed songs by some smaller, up-and-coming artists from their label. But they left songs by big stars like Taylor Swift.Â
Universal Music Group believes TikTok did this to intimidate and pressure them. By taking away songs from vulnerable new artists, TikTok hoped to force UMG to accept lower payments. UMG felt TikTok wrongly used its power over the platform to hurt these artists’ careers.
But TikTok tells a very different story. They say it was actually UMG’s own greed that led them to walk away. TikTok claims they want what is best for artists. They deny removing any songs to intimidate UMG.
This disagreement over tactics shows just how tense things got between the two companies. They clearly distrust each other’s motives in the negotiation process.
Impact on TikTok Users and Music Industry
If UMG removes its catalog, TikTok will lose a huge amount of music. Popular songs that get used in viral TikTok dances may disappear. New artists won’t have TikTok to help their songs become hits.
TikTok has over 1 billion users. Losing UMG music will take away a key part of what makes TikTok fun for many users. Some may use TikTok less or stop entirely.
Other big music companies like Sony and Warner are watching this fight closely. They also have to make new deals with TikTok soon. If UMG gets better rates, they will likely demand the same.
This situation shows the tension between apps and music companies. Music companies feel apps like TikTok rely on music to grow quickly. So they deserve more money as the apps get more popular. But apps argue they give musicians free promotion. This means they shouldn’t have to pay too much to use music.
In the end, both sides need each other. TikTok needs music that users love. Music companies need huge platforms like TikTok to reach new audiences. But money issues can make cooperation difficult, as this fight demonstrates.
Wrapping Up
This fight shows platforms like TikTok need to pay artists fairly. The result could impact other streaming and social media sites too.
Both TikTok and UMG feel pressure to work things out. But right now, they are stuck and not agreeing.
UMG says part of its job is to get artists and songwriters good deals with platforms. That’s why they are willing to remove all their music, even if it hurts some artists for now.
This dispute is a big deal for the music world. It will be interesting to see if TikTok and UMG can move past it and make a deal that works for both. Only time will tell.
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