Following the January 31st expiration of the licensing deal between TikTok and the Universal Music Group (UMG), UMG will no longer allow its music on TikTok.
In an open letter to the artist and songwriter community on its official website, UMG says this was because of “how little TikTok compensates artists and songwriters, despite its massive and growing user base, rapidly rising advertising revenue and increasing reliance on music-based content.”
However, on its community tab found in their official website, TikTok released an official statement claiming an agreement was not met due to UMG placing ‘their own greed above the interests of their artists and songwriters.’’
Regardless, the new agreement may pose some issues in the future. Because UMG is one of the largest record labels in the music industry, covering major artists like Drake, Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar, Harry Styles and Olivia Rodrigo, their music is all over TikTok in the form of edits, trends, dances, memes, and advertising.
The complete removal of UMG’s music is a long process, which is why the major effects have not been felt; but people enjoying the new era of TikTok may soon become frustrated. Hundreds of videos they may have liked or favorited will be muted. Companies and the creators they are paying to advertise them will need to ensure that old advertisements and new ones don’t use UMG music. Editors may need to completely re-edit their edits to new songs. Several trends and dances will cease to exist.
Some have already seen these effects. For instance, pop rock band One Republic’s videos have been mass muted. This could limit their follower interaction and reduce the amount of pay they get from videos. Although a minor issue for larger artists, this can be detrimental for smaller creators who are trying to get a following or rely on their TikTok accounts.
Many creators, however, do not seem to be deterred. Using things such as licensable music covers, other artists and music that do not fall under the UMG licensing agreement, and TikTok original sounds, they have been able to keep producing content.
This expiration does indeed mark a new era for TikTok, generating both creativity and frustration for many. Only time will tell what the long-term effects of the new agreement will be.
