After a failed deal, Universal Music Group will withdraw its catalog from the social video network.
The songs of Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, drake and more could disappear today TikToksince the company Universal Music Group assured in an open letter to its artists and composers that, by failing to reach an agreement on the license amounts, it will withdraw its catalog from the social video network on January 31.
“In our discussions about contract renewal, we have been pressing them on three critical issues: adequate compensation for our artists and songwriters, protecting human artists from the harmful effects of AI, and online safety for users of TikTok,” claimed the label in the statement collected by the specialized site Variety.
“TikTok proposed paying our artists and songwriters a fee that is a fraction of what major social platforms pay in similar situations”he continued, adding that TikTok currently only accounts for about 1 percent of UMG’s revenue.
“Ultimately, TikTok is trying to build a business based on music, without paying fair value for the music.” they stood out.
Regarding artificial intelligence, the company highlighted that “TikTok is allowing the platform to be flooded with AI-generated recordings, in addition to developing tools to allow, promote and encourage the creation of music in this way, which would allow “This content massively dilutes the royalty pool for human artists, to a degree that is nothing short of sponsoring the replacement of artists with AI.”
The decision, which comes a few days before the Grammy Awards 2024will be felt by users, who will not be able to use songs from top-level artists in their videos on the platform that has more than one billion users and can find deleted music in old videos.
“We know what this will mean for our artists and their fans who, unfortunately, will pay the consequences for TikTok’s unwillingness to reach something resembling a fee agreement and meaningfully address its obligations as a social platform,” the letter concludes.
TIkTok’s response to Universal Music Group
For its part, TikTok responded last night in a statement that “It is sad and disappointing that Universal Music Group has put its own greed before the interests of its artists and songwriters”.
Additionally, they highlighted that “TikTok has been able to reach agreements with all other labels and publishers” and that “Universal’s selfish actions are not in the best interest of artists, songwriters and fans.”
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
