Universal Music Group, which represents artists together with Taylor Swift, Drake, Adele, Bad Bunny and Billie Eilish, says that it’s going to not enable its music on TikTok now {that a} licensing deal between the 2 events has expired.
UMG stated that it had not agreed to phrases of a brand new cope with TikTok, and plans to cease licensing content material from the artists it represents on the social media platform that’s owned by ByteDance, in addition to TikTok Music companies.
The licensing settlement between UMG and TikTok is expired as of Wednesday.
In a Tuesday letter addressed to artists and songwriters, UMG stated that it had been urgent TikTok on three points: “appropriate compensation for our artists and songwriters, protecting human artists from the harmful effects of AI, and online safety for TikTok’s users.”
UMG stated that TikTok proposed paying its artists and songwriters at a fee that is a fraction of the speed that different main social platforms pay, including that TikTok makes up solely about 1% of its complete income.
“Ultimately TikTok is trying to build a music-based business, without paying fair value for the music,” UMG stated.
TikTok pushed again in opposition to claims by UMG, saying that it has reached ‘artist-first’ agreements with each different label and writer.
“Clearly, Universal’s self-serving actions are not in the best interests of artists, songwriters and fans,” TikTok stated.
Yet Universal Music additionally referred to as new know-how a possible menace to artists and stated that TikTok is creating instruments to allow, promote and encourage AI music creation. UMG accused the platform of “demanding a contractual right which would allow this content to massively dilute the royalty pool for human artists, in a move that is nothing short of sponsoring artist replacement by AI.”
UMG additionally took situation with what it described as issues of safety on TikTok. UMG is unhappy with TikTok’s efforts to cope with what it says is hate speech, bigotry, bullying and harassment. It stated that having troubling content material faraway from TikTok is a “monumentally cumbersome and inefficient course of which equates to the digital equal of “Whack-a-Mole.”
UMG stated it proposed that TikTok take steps much like what a few of its different social media platform companions use, however that it was met with indifference at first, after which with intimidation.
“As our negotiations continued, 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,” UMG said. “How did it try to intimidate us? By selectively removing the music of certain of our developing artists, while keeping on the platform our audience-driving global stars.”
TikTok, nonetheless stated that Universal Music is placing “their very own greed above the pursuits of their artists and songwriters.”
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