Universal Music and TikTok have ended a dispute over royalties after the label removed millions of songs from the social media platform.
The new licensing deal covers songs from some of the world’s biggest artists, including Duck, Adele And Billie Eilish will return to the site for use within the next two weeks.
Tic Tac, a short video app, is a valuable marketing and promotional tool for music stars. But in January, Universal claimed it was paying artists and songwriters “a fraction” of the rate offered by similar social media platforms, and announced that it was withdrawing its catalog.
Billie Eilish is also one of Universal’s artists. Photo: Reuters
Universal is the world’s largest music label and also handles Taylor Swift – WHO allowed a selection of his songs to return to TikTok while promoting her latest album, The Department of Tortured Poets, in April. Swift owns the copyright to her recordings through her 2018 deal with Universal and can control where her songs are available, according to the Financial Times.
The companies now say they have reached a “new, multi-dimensional licensing agreement” that will provide “significant, high-profile benefits” to Universal’s artists and labels.
In a joint statement, TikTok said it would continue to invest resources in “creating artist-centric tools” and working to strengthen online safety protections for artists and their fans.
The question of AI
Drake, another Universal artist, has already had his voice cloned for AI tracks. Photo: AP
The agreement means that all videos that had been disabled will be re-enabled. It’s been just over three months since Universal released an open letter criticizing TikTok, calling for higher payments for artists and songwriters, protection against the “harmful effects” of AI, and online security.
In their joint statement, the companies now say they will work together to ensure that the development of AI across the industry “will protect human artistic talent and the economy that benefits these artists and songwriters “.
They will also work to remove unauthorized AI-generated music from the platform, as well as develop tools to improve artist and songwriter attribution, the statement said.
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Universal Chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge said the “new chapter” focuses “on the value of music, the primacy of human art and the well-being of the creative community”, while as TikTok CEO Shou Chew added: “Music is an integral part.” of the TikTok ecosystem, and we are happy to have found a path forward with Universal Music Group.
Concerns about AI have grown in the creative community. In April last year, a song featuring the cloned vocals of Drake and The Weeknd has been removed from streaming sites after going viral.
Tuesday, British singer-songwriter and producer FKA Twigs told a US Senate hearing how she created her own digital clone – but condemned the unauthorized use of his voice and likeness.
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An All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) poll on music on Wednesday found that 83% of UK adults agree that a music artist’s creative “personality” should be protected by law against AI copying and 77% think this amounts to theft when the generated music does not recognize the creator of the original.
In April, more than 200 artists have signed an open letter opposing the “predatory” use of AI to “steal the voices and portraits of professional artists”.
