On February 1, TikTok removed all Universal Recordings Group artists, including Taylor Swift, Drake and Bob Dylan's collections. The music was removed due to Universal and TikTok being unable to agree on licensing.
Universal Music claimed TikTok was trying to “bully” the music label into a deal worth less than their prior arrangement and would not solve AI and piracy issues. TikTok responded with a statement that read: “It is sad and disappointing that Universal Music Group has put their own greed above the interests of their artists and songwriters.”
The licensing agreement with Universal Music Group expired, so all music by UMG-licensed artists will be removed from TikTok's General Music Library and all videos with UMG-licensed music will be muted. If the companies can not reach a deal soon, TikTok will also have to remove content from the Universal Music Publishing Group catalog.
What do you think of this "deal"?
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