TikTok loses UMG music after talks break down. Videos with UMG songs will be silenced, and users can choose another soundtrack.
Universal Music Group (UMG) has begun pulling music from TikTok after contract negotiations between the two companies failed.
UMG's decision to yank songs from TikTok follows months of fruitless negotiations.
Videos featuring UMG-owned songs will be muted, and users will have to find alternatives to songs from acts like Swift, Drake, and Bob Dylan.
TikTok has grown into one of the most powerful forces in the music industry, but music companies have long complained that the platform doesn't compensate artists fairly for their work.
TikTok sees itself as an invaluable promotional tool that drives new artist discovery and markets music, but record labels have clashed with almost every major online music distributor in recent years.
UMG has begun using its size to push for streaming services to change how they compensate artists and is positioning TikTok as a more established service, akin to YouTube.
UMG made its dispute with TikTok public on Tuesday, saying conversations between the two stalled over proper compensation for artists and songwriters, protections against artificial intelligence tools, and online safety for TikTok users.
TikTok issued its own statement saying UMG had put “their own greed above the interests of their artists and songwriters.”