TikTok and Universal Music Group announce a new deal

Universal Music Group and TikTok have announced a new, multi-dimensional licensing agreement that marks the end of a long-running licensing dispute between the two companies.

This deal is to deliver significant benefits for Universal Music Group’s global family of artists, songwriters, and labels, returning their music to TikTok’s billion-plus global community.

As part of the agreement, Universal’s wide catalog of approximately 4 million songs and 3 million recordings will be available on TikTok within one-to-two weeks. This means that all videos that had previously been muted will be unmuted. This should be great ears to the ears of content creators who were affected by song being muted on their videos as well.

Sir Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group, emphasized the value of this new chapter in their relationship with TikTok, focusing on the value of music, the importance of human artistry, and the welfare of the creative community.

Shou Chew, CEO of TikTok, shared their pleasure at finding a path forward with Universal Music Group, highlighting their commitment to driving value, discovery, and promotion for UMG’s artists and songwriters. This collaboration aims to advance social music monetization and strengthen engagement with the TikTok community.

The agreement also includes commitments to explore new monetization opportunities using TikTok’s e-commerce capabilities, promoting Universal Music Group’s artists globally, and investing in artist-centric tools to help Universal Music Group’s artists realize their potential on the platform. Both companies are dedicated to protecting human artistry from the harmful effects of AI and ensuring online safety for artists and fans.

Main image: Rolling Stone

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