Universal Music to drag songs from TikTok

Universal Music is about to drag its tens of millions of songs from TikTok after a breakdown in talks over funds.

The transfer would imply the social media platform would not have entry to songs by artists together with Taylor Swift, The Weeknd and Drake.

Universal accused TikTok of “bullying” and stated it wished to pay a “fraction” of the speed different social media websites do for entry to its huge catalogue.

TikTok stated Universal was presenting a “false narrative and rhetoric”.

Music firms earn royalty funds when their songs are performed on streaming and social media platforms.

Although TikTok – which is owned by Chinese firm ByteDance – has a couple of billion customers, it accounts for simply 1% of Universal’s complete income, the label stated.

In an “open letter to the artist and songwriter neighborhood” Universal – which controls a couple of third of the world’s music – claimed that “ultimately TikTok is trying to build a music-based business, without paying fair value for the music”.

Universal additionally stated that together with pushing for “appropriate compensation for our artists and songwriters” it was additionally involved about “protecting human artists from the harmful effects of AI, and online safety for TikTok’s users”.

The firm stated it will cease licensing its content material to TikTok when its contract expires on 31 January.

In response, TikTok stated: “It is sad and disappointing that Universal Music Group has put their own greed above the interests of their artists and songwriters.

“Despite Universal’s false narrative and rhetoric, the actual fact is that they have chosen to stroll away from the highly effective help of a platform with properly over a billion customers that serves as a free promotional and discovery automobile for his or her expertise,” it added.

This is the first time that Universal has taken the major step of removing its songs from a technology firm’s platform.

In July final yr, Warner Music, which is the world’s third greatest recorded music firm, and TikTok struck a brand new licensing deal.