TikTok is facing further song removals in the ongoing dispute with Universal Music Group, as the social media platform begins to take down songs published by UMG.
The conflict arose last month when UMG announced the failure to reach a deal with TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, regarding royalties. This led to TikTok removing songs owned or distributed by UMG by January 31. Now, TikTok has extended the removal to songs containing compositions controlled by Universal Music Publishing Group.
TikTok has specified that all songs written or co-written by UMPG-signed songwriters must be removed, and videos featuring these songs will be muted. Although videos with impacted songs will remain on the platform, they will lack sound. UMG and UMPG’s catalog constitute approximately 20-30% of popular songs on TikTok.
This latest development means that if a UMPG-signed songwriter contributed even a small part to a song owned by another label, TikTok must remove it. The initial removals primarily affected UMG’s artists and songwriters, but this expansion impacts artists signed to other labels as well.
To ensure legal compliance and remove all UMPG-licensed content by the end of February, TikTok is initiating the song removal process. In an open letter last month, UMG accused TikTok of trying to force an unfavorable deal and noted TikTok contributes only about 1% to its total revenue. TikTok responded with its own letter, accusing UMG of prioritizing greed over the interests of artists and songwriters.
While UMG claims the changes won’t impact its revenue, artists and songwriters will lose the opportunity to promote their music on one of the most popular social platforms, affecting music discovery and royalties earned from TikTok. UMG acknowledges these consequences but underscores its responsibility to fight for a fair agreement that appropriately compensates its artists.
