Universal Music Group artists are returning to TikTok as new licensing deal is reached

Artists from Universal Music Group, which include Drake, Adele, Bad Bunny and Billie Eilish, will return to TikTok as the two parties reached a new licensing deal after a roughly three-month dispute.

The two sides said on Thursday that they are “now working quickly to return music from artists represented by Universal Music Group and songwriters represented by Universal Music Publishing Group to TikTok in due course.”

Taylor Swift, whose recently released album “The Tortured Poets Department” reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, had some of her songs return to TikTok last month, but the details of exactly how that happened are unclear, according to with variety.

UMG said in January that it had not agreed to the terms of a new deal with TikTok and planned to stop licensing content from artists it represents on the ByteDance-owned social media platform as well as TikTok Music services.

At the time, UMG was pressuring TikTok on three issues: “appropriate compensation for our artists and songwriters, protecting human artists from the harmful effects of AI, and online safety for TikTok users.”

TikTok rejected UMG’s claims, saying it had reached “artist-first” agreements with all other record labels and publishers.

On Thursday, the two sides announced that their new agreement would bring significant benefits to UMG’s global group of artists, songwriters and record labels and return their music to TikTok.

“Music is an integral part of the TikTok ecosystem and we are pleased to have found a path forward with Universal Music Group,” TikTok CEO Shou Chew said in a statement. all of UMG’s incredible artists and songwriters and deepen their ability to grow, connect and engage with the TikTok community.”

Part of the new deal includes UMG and TikTok working together to find new monetization opportunities. They will also work together on campaigns supporting UMG artists across all genres and territories around the world.

Additionally, the companies will make concerted efforts to ensure that the development of AI across the music industry will protect human artistry and payments to artists and songwriters. TikTok will also work with UMG to remove unauthorized AI-generated music from the platform, as well as on tools to improve artist and songwriter attribution.

TikTok plans to continue investing in building artist-centric tools that will help UMG artists realize their potential on the platform. Some tools include “Add to Music App,” enhanced data and analytics, and integrated ticketing capabilities.

“We are pleased to renew our relationship with TikTok, based on significant advancements in commercial and marketing opportunities, as well as the protections provided to our roster of industry leaders on their platform,” Michael Nash, chief digital officer and executive vice president of Universal Music Group. , said in a statement.

Although TikTok has resolved its dispute with UMG, the future of the platform remains uncertain. Last month, President Joe Biden signed legislation requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to sell to an approved buyer within a year or go out of business. It’s unclear whether that law will survive an expected legal challenge or whether ByteDance would agree to sell.