TikTok Responds After Universal Music Group Threatens to Pull Its Artists’ Music from the App

Universal Music Group announced it will remove its song catalog from TikTok after failing to reach a new licensing deal with the platform.

Starting Wednesday, songs by popular artists like Nicki Minaj, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, and Drake will no longer be unavailable on the app.

The music label released an open letter titled “Why we must call time out on TikTok” addressed to artists and songwriters:

“In our contract renewal discussions, we have been pressing them on three critical issues—appropriate compensation for our artists and songwriters, protecting human artists from the harmful effects of AI, and online safety for TikTok’s users,” the open letter stated.

“TikTok proposed paying our artists and songwriters at a rate that is a fraction of the rate that similarly situated major social platforms pay,” it continued, adding that TikTok currently only accounts for about 1 percent of UMG revenue. “Ultimately TikTok is trying to build a music-based business, without paying fair value for the music.”

As it relates to artificial intelligence, UMG argues that “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 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.”

The decision, which comes just days before the 2024 Grammy Awards, will be felt by users, who will find themselves unable to use songs from top-tier 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 to our artists and their fans who, unfortunately, will be among those subjected to the near-term consequences of TikTok’s unwillingness to strike anything close to a market-rate deal and meaningfully address its obligations as a social platform,” the letter concludes.

TikTok has since released its own open letter, stating, “It is sad and disappointing that Universal Music Group has put their own greed above the interests of their artists and songwriters,” the app wrote. Despite Universal’s false narrative and rhetoric, the fact is they have chosen to walk away from the powerful support of a platform with well over a billion users that serves as a free promotional and discovery vehicle for their talent.

“TikTok has been able to reach ‘artist-first’ agreements with every other label and publisher. Clearly, Universal’s self-serving actions are not in the best interests of artists, songwriters and fans.”

Universal Music Group stands as one of the world’s top record companies, encompassing several major labels like Interscope, Republic, and Def Jam within its extensive portfolio.