Taylor Swift, Drake, Billie Eilish, other Universal Music Group songs to be removed from TikTok? Details here

Universal Music Group has issued a warning to TikTok on Wednesday, stating that they might revoke the platform's license. This move comes as the two entities were unable to come to an agreement on critical matters, including artist compensation. The company manages artists like Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, and Drake.

Ending TikTok's license, set to expire on Wednesday, could deal a severe blow to the app, given that approximately 60 per cent of the content shared on its platform incorporates music.

The biggest music company globally is urging TikTok to boost its payments to artists and tackle the emerging issue of utilizing artificial intelligence for music creation on the Chinese-owned video-sharing platform.


In an open letter, Universal accused TikTok of "trying to build a music-based business, without paying fair value for the music."

Both sides have been discussing the terms of a new agreement, with their existing contract set to expire on Wednesday.

But their deal has not been renewed.

Among the issues raised in talks were "appropriate compensation" for artists and songwriters, online safety for users, as well as the protection of artists from the harms of artificial intelligence, the letter added.

But as negotiations proceeded, Universal said, "TikTok attempted to bully us into accepting a deal worth less than the previous deal, far less than fair market value and not reflective of their exponential growth."

Major music companies earn royalty payments from streaming and social media platforms.

Universal said, however, that TikTok proposed paying "a rate that is a fraction of the rate that similarly situated major social platforms pay."

In a statement TikTok said it was "sad and disappointing that Universal Music Group has put their own greed above the interests of their artists."

FAQs:

Q1. Who are managed by Universal Music Group?
A1. Universal Music Group manages artists like Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, and Drake.

Q2. What did Universal Music Group say?
A2. In an open letter, Universal accused TikTok of "trying to build a music-based business, without paying fair value for the music."