Taylor Swift, Drake, Adele and many more artists’ music will be returning to TikTok amid new licensing deal with UMG.

Taylor Swift, Drake, Adele and more music heading back to TikTok after deal

Taylor Swift, Drake, Adele and many more artists’ music will be returning to TikTok amid new licensing deal with UMG.

 

Taylor Swift, Drake, Adele, Lady Gaga and many more artists’ music will be returning to TikTok amid new licensing deal between the site and Universal Music Group — the company that represents the artists.

Following news of the deal, a representative for TikTok told Entertainment Weekly Thursday that the artists’ libraries are expected to return to the site within two weeks, and previously muted videos featuring UMG artists’ songs will be un-muted as well.

“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,” the deal’s announcement reads.

It also confirmed new tools will be added to TikTok to enhance the artists’ monetization opportunities via the platform.

“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.”

The deal comes three months after the two entities battled over the prior licensing deal.

It expired in February and resulted in TikTok removing the label’s song library from its channels after the two entities failed to come to an agreement over what UMG alleged as unfair pay for its artists’ work.

“This new chapter in our relationship with TikTok focuses on the value of music, the primacy of human artistry and the welfare of the creative community.

“We look forward to collaborating with the team at TikTok to further the interests of our artists and songwriters and drive innovation in fan engagement while advancing social music monetization,” said UMG Chairman and CEO, Sir Lucian Grainge, in a press statement regarding the new deal.

TikTok CEO Shou Chew added: “Music is an integral part of the TikTok ecosystem and we are pleased to have found a path forward with Universal Music Group. We are committed to working together to drive value, discovery and promotion for all of UMG’s amazing artists and songwriters, and deepen their ability to grow, connect and engage with the TikTok community.”

When the licensing deal expired in Febuary, UMG revealed that TikTok wanted to pay a “fraction” of the rate other social media sites pay for access to its songs.

However, TikTok has accused UMG of presenting a “false narrative and rhetoric.”

All videos on the social media platform which have UMG music on them were muted and new videos did not have access to UMG songs.

Artists including Ariana Grande and Katy Perry had most of their music removed from their official pages, excluding various songs which were released on other labels.

Billie Eilish, another UMG artist, only had one song on TikTok, What Was I Made For?, which was featured in the Barbie movie – whose soundtrack was published by Warner Music Group.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s Murder on the Dancefloor, which became a viral hit after appearing in the film Saltburn, was also unavailable.

However, unofficial, sped-up and slowed-down versions of songs were still available to use.