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Songs by Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and Drake may disappear from TikTok on Wednesday.
In a dramatic move, Universal Music Group says it will pull its song catalog from TikTok on Jan. 31 after failing to agree on a new licensing deal with the fast-growing social video platform.
The record label announced the measure forcefully. open letter to artists and songwriters titled “Why We Should Call Time Out on TikTok.”
“In our discussions about contract renewal, we have been pressing them on three critical issues: adequate compensation for our artists and songwriters, protecting human artists from the harmful effects of AI, and online safety for users of TikTok,” the open letter said.
“TikTok proposed paying our artists and songwriters a fee that is a fraction of the fee paid by major social platforms in similar situations,” he continued, adding that TikTok currently only accounts for about 1 percent of UMG’s revenue. “Ultimately, TikTok is trying to build a business based on music, without paying fair value for the music.”
When it comes to artificial intelligence, UMG maintains that “TikTok is allowing the platform to be flooded with AI-generated recordings, in addition to developing tools to enable, promote and encourage AI music creation on the platform itself, and Then demand 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 the replacement of artists by AI.”
The decision, which comes just days before the 2024 Grammy Awards, will be felt by users, who will not be able to use songs from A-list talent in their TikTok videos and who may find music removed from older videos.
“We recognize the challenges that TikTok’s actions will cause and do not underestimate what this will mean for our artists and their fans who, unfortunately, will be among those subject to the short-term consequences of TikTok’s unwillingness to come up with anything resembling a market. “Agree on fees and meaningfully address your obligations as a social platform,” the letter concludes.
TikTok responded to UMG with a statement of its own Tuesday night:
“It is sad and disappointing that Universal Music Group has put its own greed before the interests of its artists and songwriters,” the statement began. “Despite Universal’s false narrative and rhetoric, the fact is that they have decided to walk away from the powerful support of a platform with over a billion users that serves as a free vehicle of promotion and discovery for their talent.”
“TikTok has been able to reach ‘artist first’ deals with all other labels and publishers,” he continued. “Clearly, Universal’s selfish actions are not in the best interest of artists, songwriters and fans.”