Universal Music Group to remove songs from TikTok

The music of Taylor Swift among many others will disappear from TikTok by the end of Wednesday, unless it can agree a deal with Universal Music Group.

The music of Taylor Swift, Drake, Olivia Rodrigo, among many others, will disappear from TikTok by the end of Wednesday unless the social media giant can agree on a deal with Universal Music Group.

TikTok's estimated 1.5 billion monthly users can enhance their videos with music from across the main record label catalogues, making it an important part of the modern music ecosystem. But UMG said in a statement early Wednesday that it would pull its tracks because of a lack of compensation for artists and songwriters.

"TikTok proposed paying our artists and songwriters at a rate that is a fraction of the rate that similarly situated major social platforms pay," UMG said.

TikTok, owned by the Chinese company Bytedance, responded early Wednesday with its own scathing response, accusing the music company of putting “their own greed above the interests of artists and songwriters.”

UMG said TikTok only accounts for 1% of its advertising revenue — despite its artists representing 8 out of 10 of the most popular bands and singers on the platform last year. Around 60% of TikTok videos include music.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/universal-music-group-remove-songs-tiktok-rcna136506

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