Universal Music Threatens to Pull Songs from TikTok Over Compensation Dispute

Universal Music Group has issued a warning that it will remove its songs from TikTok, including those by popular artists such as Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and The Weeknd. The dispute stems from discussions between the two parties regarding various issues, including artist compensation and online safety for users. Universal accused TikTok of trying to build a music-based business without paying fair value for the music. The existing contract between the two companies was set to expire, and Universal claimed that TikTok attempted to push for a deal that offered less than the previous agreement and did not reflect their exponential growth. As a result, Universal has decided to remove its licensed music from TikTok in the coming days. TikTok responded by expressing disappointment and accusing Universal of prioritizing greed over the interests of its artists. Despite TikTok’s large user base, Universal stated that it accounts for only about 1 percent of its total revenue. It also highlighted concerns about the presence of artificial intelligence-generated recordings on the platform and the lack of effort to address infringements on artists’ music. TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance Ltd, is one of the most popular social media platforms globally, with over 1 billion users.