Universal removes Taylor Swift, Drake and Rihanna from TikTok

A dispute between a music industry heavyweight and TikTok could lead to major changes in TikTok’s short music video offering.

Universal Music Group is refusing to renew licenses for its music on the platform, arguing that TikTok has not offered adequate compensation.

Major adjustments are therefore envisaged…

Universal Music Group — the recording industry behemoth that represents some of the world’s biggest superstars, including Taylor Swift, Drake and BTS — says it will yank its songs from TikTok after Wednesday. https://t.co/6zwNUwFokD

— Axios (@axios) January 31, 2024

Universal Music Group, which represents an impressive number of stars including Taylor Swift, Drake, Rihanna, Olivia Rodrigo and The Weeknd. has announced that it is withdrawing its entire catalog due to a major contractual dispute between the two companies.

TikTok, in a reaction that underscores the escalating tensions, accused UMG of spinning a false rhetoric and narrative and of prioritizing greed over the interests of its artists and songwriters. TikTok also points out that the platform has over a billion users, which is a powerful promotional tool for UMG.

UMG has stepped up its fight against TikTok, accusing it of using intimidation techniques. It claims that the app has removed music from certain emerging artists, but retained tracks from internationally recognized stars.

UMG claims that this strategy is designed to intimidate the label into accepting a deal that does not reflect TikTok’s rapid growth or its reliance on music as content.