TikTok and Universal Music Group's ongoing feud on music licensing has heavily impacted the platform's culture and how music labels promote songs online.Recently, it has been found that some of UMG's songs are still on TikTok despite the ban - why?
Why Are New UMG Songs On TikTok?
According to Variety, they have informed the presence of some of Ariana Grande's songs and Camila Cabello's new music preview on TikTok. However, neither TikTok nor UMG has responded to the said information.
The publication pointed out that there might be several reasons that this happened.
Virtually everyone can upload a recording or a song on TikTok. Like YouTube's problem, the platform's software has to work on banked data to take down such recordings.
However, since UMG and TikTok's partnership ceased in February, TikTok does not have any data or information on new releases because UMG has not provided them with such.
Thus, for anyone who uploads new music, even if it's owned by UMG or written or performed by UMG artists, TikTok cannot take it down because they do not have the corresponding data to crossmatch it with its source. Additionally, sped-up, slowed, and even altered songs have proven difficult to detect.
In addition, songs performed live on shows like "Saturday Night Live" can evade TikTok's current detection software and expired licensing deal.
For example, if a song Grande performed on "SNL" was not written by any UMG songwriter or administered by the company and is owned by a broadcaster, in this case, NBC, it might not be bound by the licensing deal - or the detection software could evade the song because it doesn't have the necessary data to mute it.
@..quedice Ariana Grande - We can’t be friends (Wait for your love) PT.3 #arianagrande #eternalsunshine #ag7 #ag7iscoming #ari #grande #ag #estreno #subtituladoespañol #wecantbefriends #waitforyourlove ♬ sonido original - ¿QueDice?
TikTok vs UMG Deal Explained
In February 2024, UMG published an open letter titled, "An Open Letter to the Artist And Songwriter Community - Why We Must Call Time Out On TikTok," pressing out three significant points why they are sticking to the nuclear option of pulling out their entire catalog from TikTok.
The glaring problem the company has pointed out is that in the new contract, TikTok doesn't want to increase their rate of paying the artists for the songs licensed despite "its massive and growing user base, rapidly rising advertising revenue and increasing reliance on music-based content."
Read TikTok's statement here.
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