Over the past five years, TikTok has become the music industry's most influential marketing tool, launching the careers of up-and-coming artists, turning viral songs into smash hits, and propelling older catalog tracks to the top Billboard charts. TikTok has been the launching pad for many singles, including Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" and Megan Thee Stallion's "Savage," among others. This is undeniably a useful means for promotion, but UMG (Universal Music Group) seems to be betting that the current revocation of the license will force TikTok back to the negotiating table.
Universal Music Group has not renewed its licensing deal with TikTok, amid a battle over artist pay, security and the use of AI.
UMG had threatened to stop licensing its music to TikTok following a breakdown in negotiations. It's now a done deal: songs by UMG artists began to disappear from the platform at the end of the day on Wednesday.
The deletions began gradually on Wednesday evening. Official versions of UMG-owned recordings, such as Taylor Swift's "Cruel Summer," Olivia Rodrigo's "Get Him Back," and Lana Del Rey's "Let the Light In," no longer appeared in search results . Additionally, videos featuring UMG songs (such as a Kylie Jenner post to Del Rey's "Cherry" and a Dwayne Johnson video to Rick Ross' "Hustlin'") have had their audio muted. Videos now have a message at the bottom indicating that audio has been removed due to copyright restrictions.
Just after midnight, some of Swift's videos received the same treatment. Several Justin Bieber videos on his page, including a performance of him singing "Yummy," are now silent.
