TikTok has reached a settlement with Universal Music Group, resulting in the restoration of millions of songs to the platform. This resolution comes after a dispute over royalties, which led to the removal of popular artists like Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande from the platform.
Both companies had engaged in a public dispute over payment terms, with Universal accusing TikTok of underpaying for the use of its music. However, the recent agreement includes “improved remuneration” for artists, although the exact details of the financial arrangement have not been disclosed.
In a statement to staff, Universal’s CEO, Sir Lucian Grainge, highlighted the “key changes” that TikTok had agreed to in the new agreement. This includes greater compensation for artists and songwriters compared to the previous deal.
The process of restoring Universal’s music to TikTok is expected to be completed in less than two weeks, including reactivating audio on videos that were previously muted during the dispute. Notably, Taylor Swift, one of Universal’s biggest artists, had already made a separate agreement to return her music to the platform due to owning the copyright to her songs.
TikTok’s head, Shou Zi Chew, expressed his satisfaction with the resolution, emphasizing the importance of music within the platform’s ecosystem. This development comes at a crucial time for TikTok, as it faces challenges to its continued operation in the United States.
Additionally, the agreement includes measures to address concerns about artificial intelligence (AI) in music creation on the platform. Notably, the return of artists like Drake and The Weeknd was accompanied by commitments to implement “industry-leading protections” around AI-generated music on TikTok.
Both TikTok and Universal have pledged to work together to protect human artistry and ensure responsible development of AI tools in music creation. The deal also aims to remove unauthorized AI-generated music from the platform and improve artist and songwriter attribution.
