Universal Music Group Announces Return Of Artists To TikTok

Universal Music Group (UMG) said it had settled a dispute over royalties with TikTok and entered into a new licensing agreement with the company allowing the corporation’s artists to bring their songs back to the social platform.

“Fans on TikTok can look forward to the return of UMG’s recorded music and publishing catalogs and once again enjoy creating videos using music from some of the world’s biggest artists and songwriters as well as exciting emerging talent,” the music corporation said in a statement released.

The new agreement provides for improved pay terms for the label’s artists, new promotional opportunities for recordings and songs and industry-leading protections on artificial intelligence, the statement read.

In early February, Universal Music Group began removing songs by its artists from TikTok after negotiations to extend the expired licensing agreement failed due to a dispute over royalty payments between the parties.

In April, US pop star Taylor Swift brought her songs back to TikTok, as she owns the copyrights to her songs as part of a deal with Universal Music Group and, unlike many other musicians, has an opportunity to decide who can use her music.