TikTok users lose access to Taylor Swift, Universal catalogue after talks collapse
NY Post
TikTok users will no longer be able to create videos with songs from Taylor Swift, Jon Batiste, boygenius and other Universal Music Group artists as the soundtrack, as contract negotiations between the two companies have collapsed.
TikTok’s access to Universal’s expansive roster of artists ended Wednesday, after months of negotiations failed to yield a new agreement with the world’s largest music company.
TikTok has begun muting short videos featuring the label’s artists.
The high-profile dispute erupted as the music industry executives and artists gathered in Los Angeles for Sunday’s Grammy award ceremony.
“Our agreements with TikTok have expired because of TikTok’s unwillingness to appropriately compensate artists and songwriters, protect human artists from the harmful effects of AI, and address online safety issues for TikTok’s users,” a Universal spokesman said in a statement Thursday.
The label is asking TikTok to compensate artists a rate commensurate with what other social media platforms pay. Now, it accounts for only 1% of total revenue — though music is a core part of the experience on the app, Universal Music said in an open letter published Tuesday.
