O TikTok will restore millions of songs to the platform after resolving a dispute with the Universal Music Group about royalties. This means that users will once again be able to make videos featuring music from artists like Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande.
A dispute over how much TikTok was paying saw the two companies trade accusations, and Universal dropped some of the world’s most famous singers. But the discord now appears to have been resolved. The companies announced improved compensation for artists, although they did not reveal how much money will change hands.
The dispute revolved around “split copyright”, where even a small contribution from a composer linked to UMG could lead to the cancellation of the entire recording. This isn’t just limited to the label’s artists, but can affect music from other labels, including Sony and Warner, and even hundreds of independent artists.
The companies said they were working quickly to return Universal’s songs to TikTok, a process that will take less than two weeks. This will include restoring audio to videos that were previously muted during the dispute.
Taylor Swift, perhaps the label’s biggest artist, had previously separately agreed to return her music to TikTok, a deal she could make since she owns the copyright to her music.
This comes as the social media platform faces a fight for its survival in the United States, where it plans to legally challenge a law that could result in its sale or ban in the country.
Artificial intelligence
Two of the biggest stars returning to the platform are Drake and The Weeknd, who found themselves in the middle of a fight over artificial intelligence in 2023. A song that used the technology to clone their voices went viral on TikTok, garnering 15 million views. views before being removed.
At the time, Universal Music Group said it violated copyright law. The deal that will see the return of both acts will also build in what the companies are calling “industry-leading protections” around AI on TikTok.
TikTok and Universal said in a statement that they would work together to “protect human art” in the face of technology. TikTok has also made commitments about training AI on music without consent.
*With information from BBC
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