TikTok and UMG Strike New Licensing Deal: Here Are the Artists Whose Music Will Return to the App
TikTok and Universal Music Group have struck a new licensing deal, which means many singers will have their music returning to the app.
TikTok posted the news of a deal on May 2 to their community page where they said that the new deal will "deliver significant industry-leading benefits for UMG’s global family of artists, songwriters and labels and will return their music to TikTok's billion-plus global community."
Additionally, the company went on to say that both UMG and TikTok will "deliver improved remuneration for UMG’s songwriters and artists, new promotional and engagement opportunities for their recordings and songs and industry-leading protections with respect to generative AI."
New tools will be added to the app that will help benefit artists in other ways as well.
"Tools including 'Add to Music App,' enhanced data and analytics, and integrated ticketing capabilities will benefit artists, both financially and in building their global fanbases using TikTok's scale and engaged community, while strengthening online safety protections for artists and their fans," it went on to share.
A representative for the company spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the new deal and shared that UMG artists can expect to have their music back on the platform in the next two weeks.
The deal comes after three months of UMG taking their artists' music off the app after they and TikTok failed to come to an agreement over unfair pay for their artists' work.
With the deal being struck, this means artists like Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Drake, Ariana Grande, Adele, Kendrick Lamar, Billie Eilish, Bad Bunny, SZA, The Weeknd and Harry Styles will all have their music back on the app.
READ MORE: The Bill to Ban TikTok Has Passed and People Aren’t Happy
However, the deal comes as the initiative to ban TikTok has been passed by both the House of Representatives and Senate and signed by President Biden. This now means that the app's parent company, ByteDance, has nine months to sell the site or be banned.
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Gallery Credit: Ryan Reichard