Why you can no longer use Taylor Swift and The Weeknd songs on TikTok

Universal Music Group could not reach an agreement with the Chinese social network over the remuneration of artists and songwriters.

A failure with immediate consequences as the music industry’s major record company has chosen to remove its songs from the app starting this Wednesday, January 31.

Enough to deprive users of a huge catalog to edit their content.

This is a divorce that is likely to cause a lot of fuss. Universal Music Group has decided to strip TikTok of songs from artists in its stable. A huge catalog of the world’s most popular, including Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar, Adele, U2, Coldplay and Elton John. In question? Negotiations to renew his contract, which expires this Wednesday, have failed. Chinese group ByteDance, a major global major in the music industry, alleges that “Trying to build a business based on music, without paying the right value for music.”

TikTok is not a music streaming platform and should not be licensed

A source close to AFP

Among the questions raised were “Fair Compensation” According to an open letter from Universal Music Group cited by AFP, for artists and songwriters, online security for users as well as protecting artists against the harm of artificial intelligence. TikTok defended itself in its own press release, specifically accusing the record company “Getting away from the powerful support of a platform that has over a billion users and serves as a free promotion and discovery vehicle for their talent.”

• Also read

  The Weeknd and Coldplay are fans: Inside the mystery of the bracelets that lit up the concert

Many singers, including American Olivia Rodrigo, have seen their popularity rise thanks to Gen Z’s favorite app. Many people use quotes from songs to illustrate their content, which has grown into a worldwide trend. Universal Music Group clarifies in its communication that despite its billion users, TikTok represents only about 1% of its total turnover.

A source close to it tells AFP that all the music has been given the Universal label “Will be withdrawn in the coming days starting January 31.” “TikTok is not a music streaming platform and should not be approved”

, continued the same source. If the full version of the songs is not available on the app, users can include only 60 seconds of music in their video creations.