Universal Music has accused TikTok of bullying and threatened to tug tens of millions of songs from the platform following a breakdown in cost negotiations – which might take away entry to music by artists together with Taylor Swift and Drake.
In a scathing open letter shared on-line, titled Why We Must Call Time Out On TikTok, Universal mentioned it had pressed on “three critical issues” – cost for artists and songwriters, safety from the “harmful effects” of AI, and on-line security – forward of its present contract expiring in the present day.
The video-hosting website responded to requests by the corporate, which is the most important music label group on the planet, “first with indifference, and then with intimidation”, the open letter mentioned, and “attempted to bully us into accepting a deal worth less than the previous deal” by eradicating the music of growing artists whereas retaining the work of “audience-driving” world stars.
Universal accused TikTok of “trying to build a music-based business, without paying fair value for the music” and successfully “sponsoring artist replacement by AI” by permitting the location to be “flooded” with AI-generated recordings.
It proposed paying artists and songwriters “a fraction” of the speed that different comparable social media platforms pay for entry to its catalogue, the letter mentioned.
‘A false narrative and rhetoric’
TikTok has responded in variety, accusing Universal of presenting a “false narrative and rhetoric” and placing “greed above the interests of their artists and songwriters” by strolling away from the “powerful support of a platform with well over a billion users that serves as a free promotional and discovery vehicle for their talent”.
In an announcement, the social media website added: “TikTok has been able to reach ‘artist-first’ agreements with every other label and publisher. Clearly, Universal’s self-serving actions are not in the best interests of artists, songwriters and fans.”
Universal holds the rights to a few of the world’s greatest artists, from Coldplay and Bob Dylan to Adele and Billie Eilish.
The music firm beforehand reached a cope with TikTok in February 2021, which allowed customers on the app to have the ability to incorporate clips from its music catalogue of their movies.
TikTok is owned by Chinese firm ByteDance. Despite it having greater than 1 billion customers, it accounts for 1% of Universal’s complete income, the label mentioned.
Source: information.sky.com”