On Tuesday, TikTok told Eltrys that it was removing additional UMG tracks due to its dispute with the corporation. UMG failed to strike a royalty arrangement with TikTok’s parent business, ByteDance, last month, starting the dispute. By January 31, TikTok needs to remove all UMG-owned songs. Today, the corporation must delete songs with Universal Music Publishing Group compositions.
TikTok requires UMPG-signed songwriters to delete and mute their songs and videos. Videos with affected music will stay on the platform without sound. The business estimates that UMG and UMPG constitute 20–30% of TikTok’s top tracks.
The update requires TikTok to delete songs from its site if UMPG-signed songwriters contributed even a tiny portion to another label’s tune. The original removal of UMG-owned and distributed music mostly affected its own artists and composers, but this subsequent move affects certain artists signed to other labels.
UMPG said it must start deleting music immediately to be legally compliant and delete all licensed material by February.
UMG declined to comment on Eltrys.
UMG sent an open letter to artists and songwriters last month accusing TikTok of trying to “bully [UMG] into accepting a deal worth less than the previous deal, far less than fair market value, and not reflective of their exponential growth.” The business also said that TikTok generates 1% of its income.
TikTok said in an open letter that “it is sad and disappointing that Universal Music Group has put their own greed above the interests of their artists and songwriters.” The corporation called UMG’s actions “self-serving.”
UMG claims the changes won’t affect its earnings, but artists and songwriters will lose the ability to market their music on one of the most popular social platforms, particularly one that promotes music discovery. Singers and composers would also lose TikTok income.
UMG acknowledged these drawbacks but said that it has “an overriding responsibility to [its] artists to fight for a new agreement under which they are appropriately compensated for their work.”
TikTok loses more songs in Universal Music Group dispute.
