TikTok pulls Taylor Swift, Weeknd in rights feud

Pallade Veneta - TikTok pulls Taylor Swift, Weeknd in rights feud

CULTURE 01.02.2024

TikTok pulls Taylor Swift, Weeknd in rights feud / Photo: SUZANNE CORDEIRO - AFP/File

Music by Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, The Beatles and other artists can no longer be heard on TikTok after a breakdown in negotiations with music group Universal over compensation.

Change text size:

All recorded music licensed to Universal Music Group has been removed from TikTok's music library since Thursday, and all videos containing music licensed by Universal have been muted.

The previous licensing agreement between UMG and TikTok expired on January 31st.

After the talks broke down, Universal on Tuesday accused TikTok of "trying to build a music-based business, without paying fair value for the music."

Among the issues raised in the negotiations were appropriate compensation for artists and songwriters, online safety for users, and the protection of artists from the harms of artificial intelligence, the company added.

TikTok said in a statement that it was "sad and disappointing that Universal Music Group has put their own greed above the interests of their artists."

Universal's repertoire of artists is immense and includes Kendrick Lamar, U2 and Bob Dylan.

Despite TikTok's large user base, it accounts for just about one percent of Universal's total revenue, the label said.

Universal noted other problems such as large amounts of AI-generated recordings on the platform, alongside what it called a lack of effort to deal with infringements on artists' music.

Owned by Chinese company ByteDance, TikTok is one of the most popular social media platforms globally, with more than one billion users.

It is a major onramp for emerging artists and used as a promotional tool by music labels.

A.Saggese--PV

Jersey Boys Anniversary Tour Opens in Birmingham With Gritty Account of Crime and Fame

The 20th-anniversary tour of Jersey Boys has opened at Birmingham’s Alexandra Theatre, offering a gritty and unvarnished look at the Four Seasons’ journey. The production details the band's turbulent rise from New Jersey petty criminals to international rock stars, highlighting the complex personal costs behind their musical success.

UBC professor describes police call after Galloway remark as act of care

VANCOUVER — A University of British Columbia professor has testified about a colleague’s decision to call police to visit Steven Galloway after he was accused of sexual assault, describing it as an “act of care” toward the author, who had spoken of killing himself. Galloway, who is suing his accuser and others in a defamation trial centred on the unproven allegations, has described his subsequent committal to a hospital in the United States as “terrifying.

Pallade Veneta - TikTok pulls Taylor Swift, Weeknd in rights feud