AI protections are part of a new agreement that the businesses signed.
TikTok and Universal Music Group (UMG) have stated in a press release that they have inked a contract that will enable a number of artists, including Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, The Weeknd, and others, to return to the platform. Back in February, Universal started removing tracks from its list of singers, and with a few notable exceptions, the company’s music has not been available since then. Both parties are currently “working expeditiously” to restore content to the site, which is home to more than one billion users.
The protection of artists from generative artificial intelligence is an essential component of the agreement. “TikTok and UMG will work together to ensure AI development across the music industry will protect human artistry and the economics that flow to those artists and songwriters,” the businesses stated in their announcement. “TikTok is also committed to working with UMG to remove unauthorised AI-generated music from the platform, as well as tools to improve artist and songwriter attribution.”
Additionally, “new monetization opportunities” resulting from TikTok’s recent foray into e-commerce fall under the purview of the agreement. It has been rumoured that TikTok will also provide assistance to musicians by offering tools related to analytics, integrated ticketing, a “Add to Music App,” and other similar features.
In the beginning of this year, Universal made the bold decision to remove music off the site, which resulted in the platform being forced to either mute videos or replace tracks with options from other labels. “As our negotiations continued, TikTok attempted to bully us into accepting a deal worth less than the previous deal, far less than fair market value and not reflective of their exponential growth,” UMG stated at the time of publication.
Taylor Swift’s songs were uploaded back to TikTok a month ago, most likely due to the fact that she continues to have complete control over her own library and was able to negotiate a separate agreement. A number of tracks by other artists signed to the Universal Music Group (UMG), including Ariana Grande, began to be uploaded to the platform.
Even while the disagreement seems to be behind them, it is not even close to being the most significant issue that TikTok is facing at the time. TikTok would be prohibited within a year if the app’s owner, ByteDance, does not sell the app, according to a measure that was just approved by the United States Congress.