In a move that will broadly impact TikTok creators and users, Universal Music Group (UMG), the world’s largest recording label, has removed its massive catalog from the viral video-sharing app after contentious negotiations surrounding a new licensing agreement failed.
Effective Thursday, February 1st, 2024, artists under the UMG umbrella—including monumentally popular stars like Taylor Swift, Drake, Bad Bunny, Ariana Grande and Billie Eilish as well as legendary acts from Elvis Presley to Nirvana—will no longer have their music officially accessible on TikTok.
This comes as a major blow to the platform, where creators depend on adding popular song clips to participate in trending dances, memes, and challenges that spread like wildfire among TikTok’s engaged young user base topping over 1.2 billion monthly active users.
For TikTok creators hoping to go viral, the app’s coveted algorithm favors videos featuring trending sounds and popular music. By tapping into songs making the rounds in viral TikTok challenges, creators stand a better chance of getting their videos pushed out to larger audiences hungry for the latest micro-content sensations.
Consequently, the ability to legally feature snippets from UMG’s star-studded catalog has become almost essential for creator success on the app.
But now that UMG has stripped its catalog, TikTokers can no longer enhance their videos using the label’s hits. Not only are creators barred from making new TikToks with UMG artists’ bops, tunes, and ballads, but past videos featuring those copyrighted songs have now been automatically muted or displayed with restricted notices.
Essentially, any and all TikTok content utilizing music from UMG’s endless lineup of talent—from the Backstreet Boys and Kanye West to Lady Gaga and Bob Marley—could find itself impacted by the abrupt music exile.
UMG Blasts TikTok as a “Bullying” Platform that Promotes AI Music Technology
According to UMG’s fiery statement, talks between the music giant and TikTok broke down mainly due to disagreements surrounding artist compensation, AI protections, data rights management, and general platform safety practices.
UMG adopted charged language essentially painting TikTok as an intimidating bully in negotiations by rhetorically asking, “How did [TikTok] try to intimidate us?”
Per UMG, TikTok had already begun disproportionately removing songs from the label’s lesser-known developing artists while allowing music from its biggest global superstars to remain on the platform.
UMG alleges TikTok weaponized its power against smaller artists’ careers in attempts to gain leverage over record labels in licensing negotiations. However, TikTok’s alleged pre-deal tactics to selectively suppress budding musicians’ reach remain unspecified at this time.
But for music industry veterans like UMG well-versed in artist development, TikTok’s rapidly accelerating role in breaking new talent creates an obvious incentive for record labels to strike favorable deals ensuring artists get properly paid.
However, UMG argues the terms TikTok wants amount to endorsing replacement of human artists by artificial intelligence. As AI-generated media grows more common, UMG called out TikTok’s support for music featuring computerized vocals as well as compositions written using machine learning technology.
UMG’s latest statement indicates TikTok’s music licensing stance contradicts protections and compensation standards the entertainment giant seeks for both human and AI-powered musical works as technology continues evolving new creative capabilities.
TikTok’s Response
In retaliation, TikTok lashed back by lambasting UMG as greedy and manipulative—though notably leaving out any rebuttal to AI concerns raised.
TikTok flaunted itself as a “free promotional and discovery vehicle” for artists reaching over a billion monthly users. The company also called UMG’s narrative around licensing discussions misleading.
Still, losing such a dominating force in music objectively harms TikTok creators and fans relying on viral sounds as part of the app’s pop culture formula.
With TikTok already beta testing TikTok Music as a standalone music streaming service in select international markets, ruptured relationships between prominent labels like UMG and the viral video app could impact future plans for music integration.
But for now, TikTok’s creative community will be navigating how to keep participating in—and benefiting from—viral trends without Universal Music’s powerful repertory of talent.
