May. 26, 2026
Universal Music Group and TikTok have signed a new multi-year licensing agreement that puts unauthorized AI-generated music squarely in the crosshairs. The deal, announced on May 22, commits both parties to jointly identifying and removing AI content that uses artists’ work without permission.
From breakup to makeup
This partnership has a rocky history. In early 2024, UMG pulled its entire catalog from TikTok over a licensing dispute centered on fair compensation for artists and songwriters. For roughly three months, TikTok users couldn’t access music from Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Billie Eilish, or any other artist under the UMG umbrella.
That standoff ended with a resolution in May 2024 that introduced initial AI safeguards into their licensing framework. The new agreement strengthens those protections considerably, expanding the scope of what counts as unauthorized AI content and formalizing the process for removing it.
