Barring a last-minute deal, music fromTaylor Swiftand other Universal Music Group artists may disappear fromTikTok.UMGsaid 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 TikToks 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.
Taylor SwiftRob Carr / Getty Images
Ultimately, TikTok is trying to build a music-based business, without paying fair value for the music, it concluded.
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An interesting twist is the TikToks allowing artificial intelligence recordings to circulate among its content, and also enables users to create AI music on the platform itself.
TikTok issued astatement responding to the complaintsTuesday, accusing UMG of greed and prioritizing money over the best interest of its artists.
