NEW YORK: Universal Music Group has agreed a new licensing agreement which will see songs from its catalogue return to TikTok, three months after they were removed over a rights dispute.
Universal withdrew its songs from the social media platform after a previous licence deal expired in January.
The new agreement with TikTok will deliver better compensation for musicians and songwriters, the group said in a press statement on Thursday.
The world’s largest music company, Universal holds the rights to the catalogues of many leading artistes including Billie Eilish and Adele.
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The group had previously criticised TikTok for offering musicians only a “fraction” of the royalties they are due, and expressed concern that music created with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) could endanger artistes’ livelihoods.
The Chinese-owned social media platform has become the main source for discovering new music for many young people in recent years.
Universal-signed US pop star Taylor Swift recently had some of her songs returned to TikTok ahead of the release of her new album “The Tortured Poets Department”, as she – unlike most lesser-known musicians – owns the rights to all her new recordings.
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