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It was previously reported that UGM (Universal Music Group) announced its plan to remove its artists’ music from the video-sharing application. Tik Tok when your “contract” with the app ended. UMG expressed concerns, including compensation, the danger of AI and user safety, about why it was parting ways with TikTok for now. Read the company’s full statement, released on January 30, below.
Our primary mission is simple: help our artists and songwriters reach their highest creative and business potential, which is why we need to call timeout on TikTok.
Learn more: pic.twitter.com/Lhluz1ez5H
– Universal Music Group (@UMG) January 31, 2024
Our primary mission is simple: help our artists and songwriters reach their greatest creative and commercial potential. To achieve these goals, our teams use their experience and passion to close deals with partners around the world—partners who take seriously their responsibilities to fairly compensate our artists and songwriters and treat the user experience with respect.
One such partner is TikTok, an increasingly influential platform with powerful technology and a huge user base around the world. As with many other platforms we partner with, TikTok’s success as one of the largest social platforms in the world has been based in large part on the music created by our artists and songwriters. Its top executives proudly state publicly that “music is at the heart of the TikTok experience,” and our analysis confirms that the majority of TikTok content contains music, more than any other major social platform.
The terms of our relationship with TikTok are set by contract, which expires on January 31, 2024. In our discussions about renewing the contract, we have been pressing them on three critical issues: adequate compensation for our artists and songwriters, protection of human artists of harmful effects. of AI and online safety for TikTok users.
We have been working to address these and other issues related to our other platform partners. For example, our Artist-Centric initiative is designed to update the streaming compensation model and better reward artists for the value they deliver to platforms. In the months since its inception, we are proud that this initiative has been received so positively and adopted by a variety of partners, including the world’s largest music platform. We have also moved aggressively to embrace the promise of AI as we fight to ensure that artists’ rights and interests are protected now and in the future. Additionally, we have engaged several of our platform partners to try to drive positive changes for their users and, by extension, our artists, by addressing online safety issues, and we are recognized as the industry leader in focusing on impact broader scope of music in health and well-being.
Regarding the issue of compensation for artists and songwriters, TikTok proposed paying our artists and songwriters a fee that is a fraction of the fee paid by major social platforms in similar situations. Today, as an indication of how little TikTok compensates artists and songwriters, despite its huge and growing user base, its rapidly increasing advertising revenue, and its increasing reliance on music-based content, TikTok represents only around 1% of our total revenue.
Ultimately, TikTok is trying to build a business based on music, without paying fair value for the music.
On the AI front, TikTok is allowing the platform to be flooded with AI-generated recordings, as well as developing tools to enable, promote and encourage AI music creation on the platform itself, and then demanding a contractual right that would allow that this content is massively diluted. the royalty fund for human artists, in a measure that is nothing less than sponsoring the replacement of artists by AI.
Furthermore, TikTok makes little effort to deal with the large amounts of content on its platform that infringes on our artists’ music and has offered no meaningful solutions to the rising tide of content adjacency issues, let alone the wave of hatred, intolerance, Intimidation and harassment on the platform. The only means available to seek removal of infringing or problematic content (such as pornographic artist deepfakes) is through the monumentally cumbersome and inefficient process that amounts to the digital equivalent of “Whack-a-Mole.”
But when we proposed that TikTok take similar steps as our other platform partners to try to address these issues, it responded first with indifference and then with intimidation.
As our negotiations continued, TikTok attempted to bully us into accepting a deal. They are worth less than the previous deal, much less than fair market value and do not reflect their exponential growth. How did he try to intimidate us? Selectively removing music from some of our developing artists, while keeping our audience-driving global stars on the platform.
TikTok’s tactics are obvious: use the power of its platform to harm vulnerable artists and try to intimidate us into accepting a bad business that undervalues music and defrauds artists and songwriters, as well as their fans.
We will never do that.
We will always fight for our artists and songwriters and defend the creative and commercial value of music.
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 reach anything resembling a market. fee agreement and significantly address its obligations as a social platform. But we have a primary responsibility to our artists to fight for a new agreement under which they receive adequate compensation for their work, on a platform that respects human creativity, in an environment that is safe for all and effectively moderated.
We honor our responsibilities with the utmost seriousness. Intimidation and threats will never make us avoid those responsibilities.
-UMG
TikTok also responded directly at the time. While many were disappointed by UMG’s decision, netizens agreed that TikTok’s response was “unprofessional.”
Initially, major pop artists, including Taylor Swift, Justin Bieberand Ariana Grandeand K-Pop groups, bts and BLACKPINK, it was speculated that they would be some of those who would be affected. However, February 1, when the purges began, was different. Many artists were affected, but not as many as netizens originally thought.
UMG will remove its artists’ music from TikTok today after failing to reach a new agreement.
– Many artists will be affected by this, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, BLACKPINK, Harry Styles, BTS, TWICE, TXT, Bad Bunny, Lady Gaga and more. pic.twitter.com/eIe0ApEq9n
– About Music (@AboutMusicYT) January 31, 2024
While most of UMG’s Western artists were affected, BTS and BLACKPINK were primarily unaffected by UMG’s song removal. For example, HIBE The groups were some of the least affected as their deal with UMG was for distribution only. The only BTS song initially muted was “Bad Decisions,” but it is a collaboration with Benny Blanco and Snoop Dogg.
However, many K-Pop groups were not so lucky. Groups, including NCT units, SuperM, Red velvet, &EQUIPMENT, and more, many songs were removed. Japanese or English releases for most groups were removed. However, some groups, such as TWICE, lost specific but popular songs. For example, “Feel Special,” “Cry For Me,” and “Knock Knock” were removed.
Unfortunately, even more songs and artists have been affected as the month ends. ONCEs noticed even more TWICE songs, including “Set Me Free” and Jihyo,’s solo releases have been muted.
BLACKPINK has also taken a hit. Most of their discography no longer exists, with only a few exceptions. So when you check the group account, there are thousands of muted videos.
Likewise, BTS has now been affected by UMG’s takedown. There are now numerous muted videos on the group’s account as their solo releases, including jungkook and Jimin, have been affected. However, even the group’s most beloved songs, including “Spring Day,” “Stay Gold,” “Run BTS,” “Life Goes On,” and more, have been “removed due to copyright restrictions.” More collaborations, like “My Universe” with Coldplay and J-Hope and Becky G“Chicken noodle soup” was also affected.
Etiquette Mate TXTthe album of, The chapter of the name: TEMPTATION, He also took a hit. For example, videos containing “Sugar Rush Ride”, “Happy Fools (feat. Coi Leray)” and “Tinnitus” are now muted.
Even NewJeans‘The viral hit “OMG” has been removed. Therefore, any videos that once featured him are now muted.
Select MONSTA X The songs have been removed from the app. The dream, including the song “One Day,” has been removed. It’s not just the English releases, though. Some Korean releases, such as FANTASYThey were also affected.
Netizens have reported that even more artists, including 1st and 2nd generation artists and even disbanded groups, have now also been affected. Naturally, fans are disappointed because many of their favorite artists’ videos have no sound, edits are muted, etc. It also makes it difficult to promote artists’ music.
Initially, only artists and songs directly under UMG or published through a subsidiary were removed. UMG’s latest takedown targets music related to the company in any way, even if the writer, producer, etc. of a song was under UMG or a subsidiary.
@dizzzys They removed even more music! What is safe? #kpop #kpopfyp #umg #universalmusic
Still, it seems that this demolition varies depending on location. Previously, netizens speculated that UMG’s actions would mainly affect North America, as some around the world have reported that they can still hear many of the sounds mentioned above. Not everyone was affected as not all K-Pop artists have worked with or been affiliated with UMG.
Read more below.
Which songs by K-Pop artists were removed from TikTok?
What is happening around the world?
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