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.
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.
