The label’s collection includes Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Ivete Sangalo, Jo, Lusa Sonza and more.
A Universal Music is preparing to do something it has never done before: remove its music from a social network. According to the record label, negotiations with the TikTok over payments have run into trouble, with the short-video social network willing to pay just a fraction of the fee other platforms pay for access to Universal’s music, which includes hit artists such as Taylor SwiftThe Weeknd e Drake.
TikTok denied the label’s accusations and claimed that it is sharing false narratives.
In the music market, record labels receive royalty payments when their songs are played on streaming platforms, such as Spotify, and social media, such as Instagram. According to Universal Music, although TikTok has more than 1 billion users, the social network represents only 1% of its total revenue.
In an open letter to artists and songwriters, Universal, which owns approximately a third of the world’s music, stated that TikTok is trying to build a business based on music without paying a fair value for it. In addition, Universal is pressuring the social network for factors such as fair compensation for artists, protection of artists from the harmful effects of artificial intelligence and online safety for users of the social network.
From this, the company announced that it will stop licensing its content to TikTok from the end date of the contract, which expires today (31).
In response, the social network stated that Universal’s decision was “sad and disappointing”, claiming that the company prioritizes its own greed to the detriment of its artists and composers.
Universal is in a position of dominance in the global industry, including rights to songs by several Brazilian artists, such as Ivete Sangalo, Lo Santana, Jo, Carol Biazin, Lusa Sonza, Luan Santana, Simone Mendes and Jojo Todynho.
*With information from the BBC
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