TikTok is being forced to remove more music from its platform as its copyright dispute with Universal Music Group (UMG) intensifies. UMG recently removed music it owns or distributes from TikTok, including songs by superstars like Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and The Weeknd. This conflict is currently affecting the songs published by UMG.
TikTok said, “Based on information provided by songwriters signed to Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), we have implemented Universal Music Group's request to remove all songs written (or co-written) by those artists. Where you are,” TikTok said. stated in a statement. “Their actions now not only impact the songwriters and artists they represent, but also many artists and songwriters who are not signed to Universal.” It added that it remained committed to “reaching a fair agreement.”
Due to an issue called split copyright, if a writer signed with UMPG contributed to a song in any way, that track must be removed from TikTok. As a result, artists who have collaborated with Swift, Adele, Justin Bieber, Mariah Carey, Ice Spice, Elton John, Harry Styles, SZA, and others have had their songs disappear from TikTok and are currently being used by artists who have collaborated with them. You will be muted on the video you are watching. This move will allow more artists to connect their work to the most important platform for promoting their music.
by BBC, UMG removed approximately 3 million songs from TikTok after its contract for its recording catalog expired. UMG's deal with TikTok for its publishing catalog (covering about 4 million songs) ends later this week, at which point all related tracks will disappear from the short-form video service.
Updated 2/28 3:30pm ET: Added confirmation that TikTok is removing songs by songwriters signed to UMPG.
