Universal Music Group (UMG) is set to remove all of its songs from TikTok due to disagreements over the social media platform’s licensing arrangement.
In an open letter, UMG, one of the world’s major music firms, accused TikTok of seeking to “bully” and “intimidate” them into accepting “a deal worth less than the previous deal, and not reflecting their exponential growth.”
In a letter dated January 30 and addressed to the “artiste and songwriter community,” UMG revealed that discussions for a new contract with TikTok had concluded without an agreement. It also stated that the deal, which expired on January 31, will not be renewed.
The music company stated that it was unable to secure new contract terms with TikTok due to reasons such as “higher compensation for its artistes and songwriters, protection against AI-generated recordings, and online safety issues for users”.
According to UMG, TikTok proposed paying its artists “a fraction of the rate that similarly situated major social platforms pay,” and the service “has offered no meaningful solutions” to content issues such as “bullying, bigotry, and harassment, including pornographic deepfakes of artistes.
The music label said that the streaming giants tried to “intimidate” them “by selectively removing the music of certain of our developing artistes” while maintaining their top stars on the site.
In a scathing response to UMG, the streaming giants said the music corporation had “put their greed above the interests of their artists and songwriters.”
The issue between the two corporations might impact TikTok’s 1 billion users and UMG’s global musicians and songwriters.
Drake, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Adele, U2, and Elton John are among the most successful artists signed to UMG labels. Nigerian entertainers signed on the platform include: Mr. Eazi, Tekno, Larry Gaaga, and Tiwa Savage.
If the two firms are unable to strike an agreement, these artists’ music will be unavailable for use in social media videos. Also, thousands of existing videos featuring those tracks may be muted.
Here are some of the global artistes under UMG:
The Beatles
Elton John
Rihanna
Pink Floyd
Eminem
Mariah Carey
Taylor Swift
Beyonce
The Eagles
Celine Dion
The Rolling Stones
Drake
Justin Bieber
U2
Phil Collins
Frank Sinatra
Katy Perry
Jay-Z
Metallica
Lady Gaga
Maroon 5
Adele
Bon Jovi
Rod Stewart
Bee Gees
Nicki Minaj
George Strait
Shania Twain
Guns N’ Roses
Backstreet Boys