TikTok claims it has begun eliminating additional songs from its platform due to an ongoing dispute over royalties with Universal Songs Group.
The software has already hushed songs by label artists, but it now has to do the same for writers.
As a result, videos with music by Universal-signed artists like Harry Styles and Adele might soon become muted.
TikTok estimates that up to 30% of its “popular songs” could be destroyed.
More Music Leaving TikTok Over Universal Music Row
According to some industry estimates, up to 80% of all music on TikTok might be muted.
This is due to something called “split copyrights”. In other words, if a songwriter signed to Universal Music’s publishing arm contributes even a small amount to a song, the entire recording may have to be removed.
This would include music by artists signed to other labels, including the two remaining majors, Sony and Warner, and hundreds of independents.
TikTok had a licence to use Universal’s music until earlier this year, but they let it lapse after failing to agree on how much the app should pay musicians.
As a result, the label’s recording catalogue, which totalled over three million tracks, was removed at the beginning of February.
The publishing catalogue arrangement expires at the end of the week, and an additional four million songs are scheduled to be removed from the platform.
Universal has accused TikTok of “bullying” them by offering to pay a “fraction” of what other platforms pay for its music.
Despite having over one billion members, UMG claims the platform accounts for only 1% of overall revenue. It is owned by the Chinese corporation ByteDance.
TikTok stated that Universal was promoting a “false narrative and rhetoric”.
Music is a significant aspect of TikTok’s appeal, and content creators frequently include songs in their videos.
The app has also become a means for musicians to build popularity and get their songs recognized; there is even a TikTok Billboard top 50 chart in the United States based on user involvement.
More Music Leaving TikTok Over Universal Music Row
Songs have been utilized to create viral moments such as dancing trends or challenges, popular singers have embraced the opportunity to connect with fans, and new artists have achieved mainstream recognition.
Mae Stephens, a 20-year-old from Kettering, resigned from her job at a supermarket and signed with a record company after her song If
We Ever Broke Up became popular on TikTok.
She said in an interview with the BBC, “It’s a bit of shock to be honest, I still can’t believe everything that happened to me.”
The royalties dispute has generated concerns that musicians who built a fan base on TikTok before signing with a major label can no longer monetize their following.
Cody Fry, an artist registered to a record company owned by UMG, claimed in a TikTok video that he felt “like a person standing between two colliding planets” after learning that the licencing arrangement had expired just as one of his tracks was going viral in China.
More Music Leaving TikTok Over Universal Music Row
He told the BBC that TikTok should “value music more than it does currently” and that he wishes the two companies could have settled their disputes without “leaving it to the expense of artists on the ground”.
But pop star Kim Petras, whose music has been muted on the site, says she agrees with Universal’s approach.
“I feel very protected by Universal,” she explained to the BBC last week. “I know people who have number one records and can’t afford their rent, so I’m proud Universal is taking a stand.”Of course, right now, all of us Universal artists are a little screwed, but you have to take one for the team. “The intentions are noble.”
SOURCE – (BBC)
