TikTok on Thursday parted ways with content from hundreds of major music artists after failing to strike a new licensing deal with Universal Music Group.
Artists like Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Bad Bunny, Drake and others were among those removed from the platform following the expiration of a three-year deal between Universal Music Group (UMG).
That means millions of songs can no longer be used by TikTokers who want to use them in videos, and clips with deleted content will now be silent.
The move comes after UMG accused the Chinese company of trying to “bully” it into a contract it did not agree with.
The music label called it a “bad deal” that doesn’t address concerns about AI-generated music, adequate compensation for artists and songwriters, and online safety for TikTok users.
Universal Music Group declined to sign a new music licensing deal with TikTok over concerns about AI-generated music, adequate compensation for artists and songwriters, and online safety for TikTok users.
TikTok users cannot search for music from artists signed to UMG, including Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, Lana Del Rey and many more.
UMG’s website shows its most popular artists, including Kendrick Lamar, Adele, J Balvin, U2, Elton John, Coldplay, Yahritza, Otis Redding, Post Malone, Bob Dylan and Pearl Jam – all of which will no longer be available on TikTok.
Users can check this UMG’s list to see if their favorite song has been removed.
TikTok and UMG first struck a deal in 2021 to make artists’ content widely available on the social media platform.
The label accused TikTok of quietly removing emerging artists from the platform while promoting UMG’s better-known artists, adding that the social media company did not pay “fair value” for the music.
In a open letterUMG said: “TikTok proposed paying our artists and songwriters at a rate that is a fraction of the rate paid by comparable major social platforms.”
The company accused TikTok of allowing AI-generated music to flood its platform, even claiming to have gone so far as to “promote and encourage AI music creation.”
UMG removed an AI-generated song from TikTok last year that cloned Drake’s voice
Bad Bunny called out TikTok in November for allowing an AI-generated song featuring a clone of his voice to go viral
UMG has previously fought against AI-generated music, filing a lawsuit against AI maker Anthropic for distributing copyrighted lyrics with its Claude 2 AI model.
Last year, Drake’s AI-generated song called Heart on My Sleeve was also successfully removed for copyright infringement.
In November, Bad Bunny expressed outrage after an AI-generated song, nostalgIA, went viral on TikTok.
The song not only created an AI imitation of his voice, but also cloned the voices of Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee.
UMG said it embraces the possibilities that AI technology creates – although it did not specify which possibilities it embraces – but said it will also work tirelessly to protect the rights and interests of their artists.
By allowing AI music to flourish on its platform while demanding a contractual right to the music of UMG’s artists, the company says TikTok is vastly diluting the royalty pool for human artists, adding that it is “nothing less than sponsoring the replacement of artists with AI.”
TikTok users cannot search for music from artists signed to UMG, including Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, Lana Del Rey and many more.
TikTok strike back against UMG’s accusations, saying the musicwas putting “their own greed above the interests of their artists and songwriters” and claiming it is promoting a “false narrative and rhetoric.”
TikTok said it has been able to sign artist-first agreements with every other label on its platform and by refusing to do so, UMG has eliminated a promotion and discovery platform that caters to more than a billion users.
UMG stood by its decision and said TikTok only accounts for one percent of revenue. While it understands what this will mean for its artists and fans, the company said it has a responsibility to ensure its artists are fairly compensated on a platform that shows respect for human creativity.
“TikTok’s tactics are obvious: use its platform power to hurt vulnerable artists and try to intimidate us into giving in to a bad deal that undervalues music and shortchanges artists and songwriters as well as their fans,” UMG said .
‘We take our responsibilities with the utmost seriousness. Intimidation and threats will never cause us to avoid these responsibilities.”