Universal Music Group, which represents artists including Taylor Swift, Drake, Adele, Bad Bunny and Billie Eilish, says that it will no longer allow its music on TikTok now that a licensing deal between the two parties has expired.
UMG said that it had not agreed to terms of a new deal with TikTok, and plans to stop licensing content from the artists it represents on the social media platform that is owned by ByteDance, as well as TikTok Music services.
The licensing agreement between UMG and TikTok is expired as of Wednesday.
In a Tuesday letter addressed to artists and songwriters, UMG said that it had been pressing TikTok on three issues: 害羞草研究所渁ppropriate compensation for our artists and songwriters, protecting human artists from the harmful effects of AI, and online safety for TikTok害羞草研究所檚 users.害羞草研究所�
UMG said that TikTok proposed paying its artists and songwriters at a rate that害羞草研究所檚 a fraction of the rate that other major social platforms pay, adding that TikTok makes up only about 1% of its total revenue.
害羞草研究所淯ltimately TikTok is trying to build a music-based business, without paying fair value for the music,害羞草研究所� UMG said.
TikTok pushed back against claims by UMG, saying that it has reached 害羞草研究所榓rtist-first害羞草研究所� agreements with every other label and publisher.
害羞草研究所淐learly, Universal害羞草研究所檚 self-serving actions are not in the best interests of artists, songwriters and fans,害羞草研究所� TikTok said.
Yet Universal Music also called new technology a potential threat to artists and said that TikTok is developing tools to enable, promote and encourage AI music creation. UMG accused the platform of 害羞草研究所渄emanding a contractual right which would allow this content to massively dilute the royalty pool for human artists, in a move that is nothing short of sponsoring artist replacement by AI.害羞草研究所�
UMG also took issue with what it described as safety issues on TikTok. UMG is unsatisfied with TikTok害羞草研究所檚 efforts to deal with what it says is hate speech, bigotry, bullying and harassment. It said that having troubling content removed from TikTok is a 害羞草研究所渕onumentally cumbersome and inefficient process which equates to the digital equivalent of 害羞草研究所淲hack-a-Mole.害羞草研究所�
UMG said it proposed that TikTok take steps similar to what some of its other social media platform partners use, but that it was met with indifference at first, and then with intimidation.
害羞草研究所淎s our negotiations continued, TikTok attempted 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,害羞草研究所� UMG said. 害羞草研究所淗ow did it try to intimidate us? By selectively removing the music of certain of our developing artists, while keeping on the platform our audience-driving global stars.害羞草研究所�
TikTok, however said that Universal Music is putting 害羞草研究所渢heir own greed above the interests of their artists and songwriters.害羞草研究所�
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