Universal Music Group (UMG) and TikTok have reached a new licensing agreement, ending a nearly three-month dispute that had led to the removal of music by UMG artists from the popular social media platform. The two companies announced on Thursday that they are now working together to quickly restore music by UMG artists and songwriters to TikTok.
UMG is the largest record label in the nation, and it includes platinum sellers like Adele and Taylor Swift.
The dispute began in January when UMG claimed it had not agreed to the terms of a new deal with TikTok.
UMG had been pressing TikTok on issues such as fair compensation for artists and songwriters, protection from the potential negative effects of AI, and online safety for TikTok users. TikTok, however, had maintained that it had reached agreements with all other labels and publishers that put artists first.
Under the new agreement, UMG’s global roster of artists, songwriters, and labels will receive significant benefits, and their music will be returned to TikTok. The two companies will also collaborate on finding new monetization opportunities and creating campaigns to support UMG artists across various genres and territories.
Another key aspect of the deal involves UMG and TikTok working together to ensure that AI development in the music industry protects human artistry and ensures proper payments for artists and songwriters.
TikTok will also work with UMG to remove unauthorized AI-generated music from the platform and improve artist and songwriter attribution.
TikTok plans to continue investing in artist-centric tools to help UMG artists reach their full potential on the platform, including features such as “Add to Music App,” enhanced data and analytics, and integrated ticketing capabilities.
Despite the resolution of the dispute between UMG and TikTok, the future of the platform remains uncertain due to recent legislation signed by President Joe Biden requiring TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell to a U.S. owner within a year or face shutdown.
It remains to be seen whether this law will withstand an expected legal challenge or if ByteDance will agree to sell.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.