TikTok reaches music licensing deal with Universal, ending feud

The Universal-TikTok woody ends intimately watched negotations that saw a breakdown earlier this twelvemonth arsenic 2 of the astir almighty players successful the euphony and tech industries publically criticized each different arsenic they jockeyed for leverage. Photo: Antonin UTZ / AFP
Source: AFP

TikTok and Universal announced a caller licensing statement Thursday, ending a months-long quality that saw fashionable euphony expunged from the societal media platform.

The companies released a associated connection that said the caller woody included "improved remuneration" for artists and songwriters nether the Universal Music Group (UMG) umbrella, and volition besides assuage concerns implicit the maturation of AI-generated contented connected TikTok.

Universal president Sir Lucian Grainge said "this caller section successful our relationship" would "drive innovation successful instrumentality engagement portion advancing societal euphony monetization."

The woody "focuses connected the worth of music, the primacy of quality artistry and the payment of the originative community," helium said.

TikTok's CEO Shou Chew likewise said "we are committed to moving unneurotic to thrust value, find and promotion for each of UMG's astonishing artists and songwriters, and deepen their quality to grow, link and prosecute with the TikTok community."

The woody wraps up intimately watched negotiations that saw a breakdown earlier this year, with the companies -- 2 of the astir almighty players successful the euphony and tech industries -- publically criticizing each different arsenic they jockeyed for leverage.

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Universal -- whose roster of artists includes Taylor Swift, Drake and Billie Eilish -- ordered euphony from each artists connected to its immense publishing catalog to travel down disconnected the app, leaving galore acrophobic implicit losing the selling imaginable TikTok tin offer.

Millions of videos involving Universal artists became muted connected the platform.

But portion the stripped music volition present instrumentality to TikTok, it comes astatine a infinitesimal of uncertainty for the wildly fashionable video-sharing app, 1 week aft a caller US instrumentality demands the institution divest from its Chinese genitor institution ByteDance oregon beryllium unopen retired of the American market.

The app has 170 cardinal users successful the United States alone.

Neither Universal nor TikTok disclosed immoderate fiscal presumption of the deal.

Several weeks ago, the almighty and fashionable Swift returned immoderate of her euphony to the app up of the merchandise of her astir caller album.

It was unclear precisely however she did it, but Swift does ain her ain maestro recordings arsenic good arsenic her songwriting rights, though those 2 are administered by Universal's publishing arm.

In their associated connection the companies said they were "working expeditiously to instrumentality euphony by artists represented by Universal Music Group and songwriters represented by Universal Music Publishing Group to TikTok successful owed course."

Source: AFP