Goodbye, music on TikTok
Goodbye, music on TikTok
Universal Music wants to pull music from TikTok citing “its platform power to hurt vulnerable artists”
Could we be saying goodbye to popular music on TikTok? It looks like that thought could soon be coming to fruition as Universal Music Group (UMG) took a decisive stance on January 30th, as it released an open letter articulating its decision to remove music from artists under its label from the short-form video giant. Among the prominent artists facing removal are Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, The Weeknd, Drake, Billie Eilish, Justin Bieber, Adele, Coldplay, J Balvin, Post Malone, and Sophie Ellis-Bextor, the latter gaining TikTok fame with her 2001 hit ‘Murder On The Dancefloor.’
UMG disclosed in its statement that the licensing agreement with TikTok, which is set to expire on January 31, 2024, will not be renewed due to unsuccessful negotiations. The record label emphasized three crucial issues during contract discussions: fair compensation for artists and songwriters, protection from AI's negative impact on human artists, and online safety for TikTok users.
Regarding compensation, UMG alleged that TikTok proposed a meager payment that represents only one percent of its revenue, significantly lower than what other major social platforms offer. UMG accused TikTok of attempting to establish a music-centric business without fairly compensating artists.
UMG also raised concerns about TikTok's promotion of AI-generated music on its platform, potentially diluting royalties for human artists. The record label accused TikTok of seeking contractual rights that could pave the way for AI to replace human artists.
In addition, UMG criticized TikTok for its inadequate measures in ensuring artist and user safety, describing the platform's content removal process as a cumbersome and inefficient digital equivalent of 'Whack-a-Mole.' UMG claimed that TikTok resorted to intimidation when presented with proposals to address these issues.
In response, TikTok accused UMG of promoting a "false narrative and rhetoric" and prioritizing its own financial interests over those of its artists and songwriters. The short statement emphasized TikTok's role as a promotional and discovery platform with over a billion users, highlighting that it has successfully negotiated artist-first agreements with every other label and publisher. The platform concluded that Universal's actions are self-serving and not aligned with the best interests of artists, songwriters, and fans.
As of right now, I think I’m going to take the side of TikTok on this one. The platform is a huge platform that gives artists access to an incredibly large audience. Not being able to promote your music on the platform only hampers the potential for growth and increased revenue for the artist — as well as for UMG.