TikTok Pulls Out More Songs Amid Music Rights Dispute, Impacting UMG Artists

Amidst the ongoing struggle over music rights, TikTok has decided to take further action by removing additional songs from its platform. This latest move affects a wide range of tracks written or co-written by artists associated with Universal Music Group, marking a significant development in the ongoing battle over digital music distribution.

(Photo : Alexander Shatov from Unsplash)

ByteDance, the company behind the popular messaging app TikTok is set to axe hundreds of jobs under the Nuverse gaming unit. The upcoming layoff is part of the company's restructuring process.

Removing Additional Works

TikTok continues its crackdown on songs amid ongoing battles over music rights. The platform's latest move will see the removal of all songs written or co-written by artists under Universal Music Group (UMG).

As the dispute unfolds, TikTok is adhering to UMG's directive to eliminate songs associated with Universal Music Publishing Group songwriters.

In a statement posted on its website, TikTok acknowledges its obligation to comply with UMG's request, noting the broad impact on both signed and unsigned artists. Beyond UMG-affiliated musicians, artists with publishing deals under the label will also feel the effects of the purge, such as Harry Styles, Steve Lacy, and SZA.

This suggests that TikTok will lose even more UMG songs, though the exact extent remains unspecified. The ongoing developments underscore the complexities and ramifications of the ongoing music rights dispute on digital platforms like TikTok.

Reiterating Dedication

TikTok reiterates its dedication to securing a fair resolution with Universal Music Group, emphasizing its commitment to equitable agreements within the music industry.

Despite the ongoing negotiations, TikTok assures users that they can still enjoy a vast library of music content from diverse artists and labels on the platform.

Additionally, TikTok underscores its ongoing efforts to foster connections between artists and their fanbase, ensuring that all creators are supported and celebrated within its community, regardless of current availability.

Universal Music Group cited three key issues that led to its decision: fair compensation for artists and songwriters, protection against the negative impacts of AI, and ensuring the safety of TikTok users.

Negotiations for contract renewal with TikTok have been ongoing, as the current contract is set to expire on January 31.

Of primary concern to Universal Music Group was TikTok's proposed compensation, which it deemed notably lower compared to other major social platforms for similar content.

Despite TikTok's substantial user base and increasing advertising revenue, the platform reportedly contributes only about 1% to Universal's total revenue.

While TikTok users face challenges due to the unavailability of songs from their preferred artists, YouTube is making efforts to attract short-form video creators by introducing a new music video remix feature.

Launched recently, this feature incorporates songs from the catalog of UMG, providing creators with additional options for their content.

This follows Google's disclosure that YouTube Shorts has surpassed 70 billion daily views, marking a significant increase from the reported 50 billion daily views in February 2023.

Despite this growth, Shorts' daily views continue to trail behind Reels. Meta disclosed last October that Reels accumulated 140 billion daily views across its social networks.