A Few Taylor Swift Songs Return to TikTok Amid Ongoing UMG Dispute
Positive development: Some Universal Music content is making a comeback on TikTok.
On a less positive note: Only a small selection of Taylor Swift tracks are included.
This doesn’t detract from Swift’s popularity, as her loyal fan base will surely appreciate her music returning to the platform. The downside is that TikTok and Universal Music Group (UMG) have yet to reach a new agreement, keeping the majority of UMG’s music off the short-form video app.
In a brief recap, UMG announced in January that it would remove its music from TikTok due to failed negotiations on a new licensing deal. UMG stands as one of the industry’s major music producers, representing renowned artists such as Adele, Drake, and Billie Eilish, along with Taylor Swift.
With Swift’s upcoming album scheduled for release next week, some of her tracks have reappeared on TikTok, although the specifics of the arrangement are unclear.
According to reports from Variety:
“It appears probable that a separate agreement was reached with Swift, who owns her master recordings and likely has the authority to negotiate her own terms. Despite being distributed by UMG and aligning with the company’s publishing arm in 2020.”
Variety also hints at Swift potentially having a personal promotional partnership with TikTok for her new album, leading to the re-entry of her music on the app.
However, the remaining UMG tracks remain restricted.
UMG has accused TikTok of offering subpar deals well below their previous licensing terms, as TikTok aims to leverage its influence as a significant music platform to secure better terms with publishers.
UMG asserts that TikTok’s revised licensing proposal falls significantly short of their expectations compared to what they receive from other social media platforms. Consequently, UMG claims to be shifting focus away from TikTok towards alternative opportunities, a significant move considering TikTok’s pivotal role in music discovery.
A commissioned report from TikTok released last November revealed that users of the app are notably more inclined to discover and share new music content, with 75% of users identifying new artists through TikTok clips.
With these insights, it’s evident why TikTok appears to hold the upper hand in negotiations. However, Universal Music Group also aims to guarantee fair compensation for the creative efforts of its artists.
Evidently, the stalemate between the two entities may persist for some time, although intermittent agreements like this one could potentially allow certain UMG artists to share their music on TikTok, albeit sporadically.