Songs from TikTok will be released by Universal Music.
Following a breakdown in payment negotiations, Universal Music plans to remove its millions of songs from TikTok.
Due to the change, Drake, Taylor Swift, and The Weeknd's tracks will no longer be available on the social media site.
TikTok was accused of "bullying" by Universal, which also stated that it wanted to pay a "fraction" of what other social media platforms charge for access to its extensive library.
A "false narrative and rhetoric" was being presented by Universal, according to TikTok.
When songs are streamed or shared on social media, music companies receive royalties.
Despite having over a billion subscribers, TikTok—owned by the Chinese corporation ByteDance—only contributes 1% of Universal's overall earnings, according to the label.
About a third of the music produced worldwide is owned by Universal, which asserted in an "open letter to the artist and songwriter community" that "ultimately TikTok is trying to build a music-based business, without paying fair value for the music".
In addition, Universal stated that it was concerned about "protecting human artists from the harmful effects of AI, and online safety for TikTok's users" in addition to "appropriate compensation for our artists and songwriters".
Upon the contract's expiration on January 31, the company announced that it would no longer be licensing its content to TikTok.
TikTok responded by saying: "It is awful and depressing that Universal Music Group has prioritized their own profit over the needs of their composers and artists.
"Despite Universal's false narrative and rhetoric, the fact is they have chosen to walk away from the powerful support of a platform with well over a billion users that serves as a free promotional and discovery vehicle for their talent," it stated.
For the first time, Universal has made the significant move to remove one of its songs from a platform owned by a tech company.
In the world of recorded music, Universal is the industry leader. It owns the rights to a vast array of artists, including the Beatles, Elton John, Coldplay, Adele, BTS, and Blackpink. Additionally, it owns Sophie Ellis-Bextor's Murder on the Dancefloor, which has become a hit song on TikTok recently. In July of last year, Warner Music, the third-biggest recorded music company in the world, and TikTok signed a new licencing agreement.
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