Earlier this year, Universal Music Group (UMG) and its publishing arm, Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), pulled their songs from TikTok amid a licensing dispute with the app. The removal meant that music from Drake, Lana Del Rey, Ariana Grande and many others could not be used with videos on TikTok.
Now, according to Variety, one of Universal's biggest stars has her songs back on TikTok: Taylor Swift. In their report, writers Todd Spangler and Jem Aswad speculate why Swift, and none of her colleagues from Universal, have her music on TikTok again:
Pitchfork has reached out to representatives for Taylor Swift, Universal Music Group, Universal Music Publishing Group and TikTok for comment and more information.
Taylor Swift was announced Her worldwide record deal with Universal Music Group in November 2018. Later in February 2020, she announced an exclusive worldwide publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group.
Swift has released four brand new studio albums through UMG's Republic Recordsand has a fifth new album, Department of Tormented Poets, which will be released next week. Swift has reportedly been re-recording her catalog to regain control of her masters. So far, it has released new versions of it Fearless, Red, Speak nowand 1989 through Democracy.
Universal Music Group and Universal Music Publishing Group's licensing deals with TikTok expired last winter. The day before the leave was due to expire, UMG chairman-CEO Lucian Grainge he said in an open letter that his company and TikTok have failed to come together on three key issues: “adequate compensation for our artists and songwriters, protecting human artists from the harmful effects of artificial intelligence, and online safety for TikTok users.” He added that “TikTok is trying to build a business based on music without paying fair value for music.”
TikTok has responded to this her own open letter that UMG had “put its own greed above the interests of artists and their songwriters”, touting the “first artist” deals it had made “with every other label and publisher”.
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