Taylor Swift's songs returned to TikTok on Thursday morning after a 10-week hiatus. A license issue between the social app and Universal Music Group (UMG) caused the temporary disappearance of the pop superstar's songs from the platform.
Swift's hits "You Belong With Me," "Lover," "Cardigan," "Mirrorball," "Fearless (Taylor's Version)," "Cruel Summer," "Style," "Is It Over Now?" "The Man," and "ME!" are available for use in TikTok videos, according to Variety.
TikTok pulled Taylor Swift's repertoire in February after a license agreement with UMG expired. Universal Music accused TikTok of trying to force it into a bad contract, while TikTok accused Universal of spreading misleading information.
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Rumors suggest that Taylor Swift and TikTok may have struck a different agreement where Swift retains the masters, allowing her songs to play again on the app. Despite TikTok's muting of UMG's music, fans or representatives of singers like Ariana Grande and Camila Cabello released recordings on the platform.
Music artists are discussing royalty payments and AI protection within the UMG-TikTok conflict. UMG and TikTok are still fighting for music discovery and marketing.
In 2020, Taylor Swift left Sony/ATV, her publishing partner since her career, for Universal Music Publishing Group. After removing UMG-owned records, TikTok pulled Universal Music Publishing-licensed tracks in late February.
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Taylor Swift songs have returned to TikTok prior to the official release of her new album, "The Tortured Poets Department" on April 19, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The pop music icon's use of TikTok to promote her new album may be similar to her use of the site for "Midnights," when she exclusively posted track reveal videos.
Following a disagreement between UMG and TikTok, the platform removed all UMG-affiliated recordings, including Swift, Lady Gaga, and Drake, starting on February 1. It is important to note that only Taylor Swift's tracks are back on TikTok.
(Photo : VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)
US singer Taylor Swift arrives for the "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" concert movie world premiere at AMC The Grove in Los Angeles, California on October 11, 2023.
UMG-TikTok Feud
TechTimes previously reported that UMG expressed concern about TikTok's support of AI music production tools and the platform's possible overflow of AI-generated content. UMG worries such tactics will reduce human artists' royalty pool.
In an open letter, UMG accused TikTok of supporting the substitution of AI-generated material for human artists but failed to sufficiently address the consequences for these producers. The letter compared TikTok's content control to digital "Whack-a-Mole."
The UMG letter criticized TikTok for failing to handle copyright infringement and content adjacency issues such as hate speech, bigotry, bullying, and harassment.
TikTok responded to UMG's actions by expressing frustration and accusing the record company of putting profits ahead of the rights of songwriters and artists. TikTok said it has reached "artist-first" agreements with all companies and publishers.
TikTok, which serves as a free talent discovery and promotion website, noted its large user base and claimed that UMG's decision to remove its music from the platform might hurt its artists' success.
Last month, UMG and Spotify revised their collaboration to incorporate more promotional tools.
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