Taylor Swift’s label UMG agrees licensing deal with TikTok, ending controversy

Universal Music GroupThe record label for top music artists including Taylor Swift has entered into a new licensing agreement with TikTok, ending a dispute between the two companies.

In a statement on Thursday, UMG said the licensing deal would bring its artists’ music back to TikTok.

As of Thursday morning, several songs from Taylor Swift, including tracks from the pop star’s new album The Tortured Poets Department, have been restored to the platform, CNBC confirmed.

Earlier this year, TikTok pulled songs from artists signed to UMG after the two sides failed to agree on a new content licensing deal, sparking a public row. Music from artists including Swift and Drake has become unavailable on TikTok, which is owned by Chinese internet giant ByteDance.

UMG has accused TikTok of harassment and intimidation in its contract negotiations and claims that TikTok has offered to pay its artists and songwriters “at a rate that is a fraction of what similarly situated major social platforms pay.”

At the heart of the dispute was an allegation that TikTok allowed its platform to undermine the intellectual property of artists with unauthorized AI-generated songs. UMG claims the social media platform is “flooded with AI-generated posts.”

UMG and TikTok’s new deal aims to improve compensation for songwriters and artists, provide promotional opportunities for their recordings and introduce “industry-leading protections” when it comes to generative AI.

The new agreement “focuses on the value of music, the primacy of human artistry and the well-being of the creative community,” said Lucian Grange, chairman and chief executive of UMG.

“We look forward to collaborating with the TikTok team to further the interests of our artists and songwriters and drive innovation in fan engagement while advancing the monetization of social music.”

Shou Zi Chew, CEO of TikTok, said the platform is “committed to working together to drive value, discovery and promotion for all of UMG’s amazing artists and songwriters.”

TikTok and UMG said they will work to ensure that AI developments in the music industry protect artists and that they are adequately paid for their material.

TikTok will also work with UMG to remove unauthorized AI-generated music from its platform, as well as implement tools to improve artist and songwriter attribution.