TikTok loses much more songs over its dispute with Common Music Group

TikTok is shedding much more songs over its quarrel with Common Music Group (UMG), because the social media community is beginning to take away songs printed by UMG, the corporate confirmed to TechCrunch on Tuesday. The row between the 2 firms started final month when UMG announced that it failed to succeed in a take care of TikTok’s father or mother firm, ByteDance, over royalties. Consequently, TikTok needed to take away songs owned or distributed by UMG by January 31. Now, the corporate has to take away songs that comprise compositions managed by Common Music Publishing Group (UMPG).

TikTok says all songs which have been written or co-written by a songwriter signed to UMPG have to be eliminated, and all movies that function these songs have to be muted. Movies that embrace impacted songs will nonetheless stay on the platform, however they received’t have any sound. The corporate says UMG and UMPG’s catalogue represents anyplace from 20-30% of widespread songs on TikTok.

The change implies that if a songwriter signed to UMPG contributed to even a small a part of a track owned by one other label, TikTok must take away it from its platform. The preliminary removing of songs owned and distributed by UMG largely impacted its personal artists and songwriters, however this newest improvement implies that some artists signed to different labels can even be impacted.

With a purpose to be legally compliant and take away all content material licensed by UMPG earlier than the tip of February, the corporate says it wants to start out eradicating the songs now.

UMG didn’t reply to TechCrunch’s request for remark.

Final month, UMG wrote an open letter to artists and songwriters, through which it accused TikTok of trying to “bully [UMG] into accepting a deal worth less than the previous deal, far less than fair market value and not reflective of their exponential growth.” The corporate additionally famous that TikTok accounts for almost 1% of its complete income.

On the identical day, TikTok printed its personal open letter, saying “it is sad and disappointing that Universal Music Group has put their own greed above the interests of their artists and songwriters.” The corporate mentioned UMG’s motion have been “self serving.”

Though UMG says the modifications received’t influence its income, they may definitely influence artists and songwriters, as they’re not capable of promote their music on some of the widespread social platforms, particularly one which has been recognized for driving music discovery. Artists and songwriters can even be shedding out on royalties earned from their music on TikTok.

UMG acknowledges these downsides, however famous in its letter that it has “an overriding responsibility to [its] artists to fight for a new agreement under which they are appropriately compensated for their work.”