Universal Music Group and TikTok have unveiled a new multiyear licensing deal to cover royalties from big name artists and creators like Yungblud, Drake and Lady Gaga.
The latest agreement builds on a 2024 partnership to ensure creative and commercial opportunities for UMG’s artists and songwriters through expanded marketing and advertising campaigns involving TikTok. That deal followed the two companies going through a months-long and very public standoff over the royalties TikTok paid to UMG’s artists, with the music giant ultimately pulling the music from its roster of artists and accusing the video social media giant of “trying to build a music-based business, without paying fair value for the music.”
UMG and TikTok struck a more collegial tone on Friday as the music label’s artists, songwriters and creators will continue to get access to the social media platform’s global audience for business opportunities.
“The new deal also extends TikTok and UMG’s groundbreaking commitment to AI (artificial intelligence) protections that promote human artistry and ensure platform economics effectively flow through to artists and songwriters. TikTok and UMG will work together to remove unauthorized AI-generated music,” both companies said in a statement.
