Taylor Swift's Music Back on TikTok Following UMG's Royalty Dispute

Taylor Swift’s Songs Return to TikTok Following UMG Pulling Its Music Over Royalty Issue

Taylor Swift. Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for MTV

Taylor Swift's music is back on TikTok after being temporarily removed due to a disagreement between Universal Music Group and the social media platform. On Thursday, April 11, TikTok users were thrilled to find that Swift's music, along with other UMG artists, was once again available for streaming. Swift, who is 34 years old, had her music taken down in late February over royalty rate issues. About a month later, her music has made a comeback on the platform.

Excited fans on TikTok celebrated the return of Taylor Swift's edited audios. One fan with the account @TheSwiftSociety happily announced, "We won!" They were thrilled to find songs from albums like Lover, Folklore, and the Taylor's Versions of 1989 and Red back on the platform. Fans praised Swift as a powerhouse in the music industry, especially with her upcoming 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, set to release soon. They believed that having her music unavailable for use was not acceptable.

Some fans speculated that Swift's ownership of the master recordings of her UMG albums allowed her to independently negotiate with TikTok to bring back her music. Others pointed out that artists like Olivia Rodrigo and Bad Bunny, also under UMG, had their music restored as well. We have reached out to UMG for a comment on this recent development.

Fans were delighted when Swift or UMG made a deal. Many celebrated by sharing videos of themselves lip-syncing to songs like “Cruel Summer.” Some were excited that their videos featuring Swift’s music were no longer muted, although it was mentioned that not all of her songs had returned to the platform.

Taylor Swift’s Songs Return to TikTok Following UMG Pulling Its Music Over Royalty Issue

Swift and other artists’ music disappeared from TikTok when the platform and UMG could not agree on a new licensing deal. In a public letter, UMG stated that TikTok offered to pay their artists and songwriters much less than other major social platforms do. UMG mentioned that TikTok does not fairly compensate artists and songwriters, even though it only contributes about 1% to their overall revenue despite having a large and expanding user base.

TikTok fired back at UMG, accusing them of prioritizing profit over their artists and songwriters. The social media platform highlighted its massive user base of over a billion people and emphasized its role in promoting and discovering talent for UMG. TikTok also pointed out that it has artist-friendly agreements with all other labels and publishers, suggesting that UMG was not acting in the best interests of artists, songwriters, and fans.

Now that Taylor Swift's music is back on TikTok, users can create videos reacting to her album "The Tortured Poets Department." The album, released under Republic Records (a UMG subsidiary), is set to debut on April 19th.

Editor's P/S:

The return of Taylor Swift's music to TikTok is a testament to the power of fan demand and the importance of fair compensation for artists. Swift's fans were vocal in their support for her, and their voices ultimately played a role in bringing her music back to the platform. This is a victory for artists everywhere, as it shows that they have the power to stand up for their rights and ensure that they are fairly compensated for their work.

The disagreement between UMG and TikTok also highlights the changing landscape of the music industry. Streaming platforms are becoming increasingly important, and artists are looking for ways to maximize their earnings from these platforms. UMG's decision to remove Swift's music from TikTok was a strategic move to try to force TikTok to pay higher royalties. However, TikTok's response shows that the platform is not willing to be bullied by record labels. This is a positive development for artists, as it gives them more bargaining power when negotiating with streaming platforms.