TikTok forced to continue deleting music due to royalty disputes
TikTok has begun deleting more music from its platform as it faces ongoing conflicts with Universal Music Group (UMG) over royalties. The popular app has already removed songs from artists under the label, and is now extending this to songwriters.
This move will affect songs by artists like Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, The Weeknd, and Adele, who have collaborated with UMG-signed artists.
UMG had licensed its music to TikTok until earlier this year, but disagreements over payment led to the removal of about three million songs in February. If a new publishing agreement is not reached by the end of the week, an additional four million songs will vanish from the platform.
In response, TikTok criticized UMG in an open letter, accusing the label of prioritizing money over its artists. Despite the platform’s immense reach, UMG has chosen to forego this free tool for promoting talent in pursuit of greater profits.
