No Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo Or Other Universal Music Group Artists On TikTok After Licensing Dispute

Barring a last-minute deal, music from Taylor Swift and other Universal Music Group artists may disappear from TikTok. UMG said in an open letter that its negotiations for a renewed licensing agreement with the popular short video platform yielded no results and the license expires tonight. 

UMG said three “critical issues” have led to its impasse, including “appropriate compensation for our artists and songwriters, protecting human artists from the harmful effects of AI, and online safety for TikTok’s users.”

“TikTok proposed paying our artists and songwriters at a rate that is a fraction of the rate that similarly situated major social platforms pay,” the letter explained.

“Ultimately, TikTok is trying to build a music-based business, without paying fair value for the music,” it concluded.

An interesting twist is the TikTok’s allowing artificial intelligence recordings to circulate among its content, and also enables users to create AI music on the platform itself.

UMG claims such allowance “massively dilute the royalty pool for human artists, in a move that is nothing short of sponsoring artist replacement by AI.”

TikTok issued a statement responding to the complaints Tuesday, accusing UMG of “greed” and prioritizing money over the best interest of its artists.