Artists from Universal Music Group, which includes Drake, Adele, Bad Bunny and Billie Eilish, will return to TikTok as the two parties have reached a new licensing agreement after a dispute that lasted about three months.
The two sides said Thursday that they are “now working expeditiously to return the music of artists represented by Universal Music Group and songwriters represented by Universal Music Publishing Group to TikTok in a timely manner.”
Taylor Swift, who recently released her album The Tortured Poets Department. Hit number 1 On the Billboard 200 chart, some of her songs returned to TikTok last month, but the details of exactly how that happened are unclear, according to Variety.
UMG It said in January that it had not agreed to terms on a new deal with TikTok, and planned to stop licensing content from artists it represents on the ByteDance-owned social media platform, as well as its TikTok Music services.
At the time, UMG was lobbying TikTok on three issues: “adequate compensation for our artists and songwriters, protecting human artists from the harmful effects of artificial intelligence, and online safety for TikTok users.”
TikTok responded to UMG's claims, saying it has reached “artist first” agreements with all other brands and publishers.
The two sides announced on Thursday that their new agreement will give significant benefits to UMG's global portfolio of artists, songwriters and brands and will bring their music back to TikTok.
“Music is an integral part of the TikTok ecosystem, and we are thrilled to have found a way forward with Universal Music Group,” TikTok CEO Xu Qiu said in a statement. “We are committed to working together to drive value, discovery and promotion for all of UMG’s amazing artists and songwriters, and deepen their ability to grow, connect and engage with the TikTok community.”
Part of the new deal includes UMG and TikTok working together to find new monetization opportunities. They will also work together on campaigns supporting UMG artists across genres and territories globally.
Additionally, the two companies will put their joint efforts toward ensuring that the development of AI across the music industry protects human artistry and payments to artists and songwriters. TikTok will also work with UMG to remove unauthorized AI-generated music from the platform, as well as tools to improve artist and songwriter attribution.
TikTok plans to continue investing in building artist-centric tools that will help UMG artists realize their potential on the platform. Some of the tools include Add to Music App, enhanced data and analytics, and integrated ticketing capabilities.
“We are thrilled to renew our relationship with TikTok built on significant advancements in business and marketing opportunities as well as the protection offered to our industry-leading roster on their platform,” said Michael Nash, Chief Digital Officer and Executive Vice President of Universal Music Group. He said in a statement.
While TikTok has settled its dispute with UMG, the future of the platform remains uncertain. President Joe Biden last month signed legislation requiring ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, to do so He sells To an approved buyer within a year or close. It is not clear whether this law will survive the expected legal challenge or whether ByteDance will agree to the sale.
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