Universal Music threatens to ban the use of its music on TikTok

A new front has opened for TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, after negotiations with Universal Music led the music giant to issue a warning about the use of its songs on the social network. TikTok could be left without access to this music. This gap in negotiations has arisen with just one day before the current contract between both entities ends.

Universal published a statement Tuesday regarding its position in negotiations with TikTok, recalling that its "mission" is "to help our artists & songwriters attain their greatest creative and commercial potential." The record company ensures that the video platform does not correctly reward or incentivize said artists.

Universal regretted that "As with many other platforms with whom we partner, TikTok’s success as one of the world’s largest social platforms has been built in large part on the music created by our artists and songwriters." However, Universal assure that despite this, the platform does not take enough measures to reward artists.

Universal is asking the platform to "fairly compensate" the firm's artists and songwriters, protecting "human artists" from "the harmful effects of AI" as well as improvements in the online security of the platform's users.

TikTok without music?

This threat is not insignificant for TikTok. Since its beginnings, music has been a major reason for its success. The platform first became popular due to dances choreographed to viral songs. According to Universal, a significant portion of the videos that circulate on the social network have music.

The fact that it is Universal Music that is launching the threat should also worry TikTok. The artists who publish their music under the company's label are some of the most listened in the world. TikTok users could not use music from Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Rosalía, Steve Lacy, Sting, The Weeknd, Drake, Harry Styles, Coldplay, J Balvin and more. This long list of artists adds up to a near-infinite number of followers and views.

TikTok assures that it has proposed payments to artists. Along with this, it maintains that the platform is a network that contributes to sharing artists' music and especially emerging artists.