Nabil Luqman

0f9d2dd4f71434084e2b6094de1865e23abb37bb9f28ca51feeabee679ec9be2

Social

music

Dispute

TikTok

artists

removed

mute

trend setters

For avid TikTok enthusiasts, the heartbeat of the platform lies in the music that accompanies trending videos. Whether it's a captivating soundtrack from a series like Moon Knight featuring Engelbert Humperdinck's 'A Man Without Love' or a chart-topping hit from the likes of Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, or Drake, these tunes have consistently set the trends on TikTok.
However, the musical landscape on the platform is undergoing a significant shift, leaving us with a more restricted pool of tunes to choose from. Universal Music Group (UMG) has made the impactful decision to withdraw its music catalogue from the social platform.
<img src="https://r2.myc.my/6a84cfe18a42e49e2e9bd988d240e9e3d02c5954859f42dcb7367694643bbcc7" />
In their official statement, UMG clarified their decision to remove their artists' music from TikTok, emphasizing their commitment to safeguarding the interests of their talented creators. UMG contended that TikTok showed reluctance in providing a fair compensation for the featured music. In the realm of artist and songwriter compensation, TikTok's proposed rate fell significantly below industry standards observed by other major social platforms.
UMG underscored the insufficiency of TikTok's compensation to artists and songwriters by revealing a stark statistic: "Today, despite amassing a vast user base, experiencing surges in advertising revenue, and intensifying reliance on music content, TikTok contributes a mere 1% to our overall revenue."
<img src="https://r2.myc.my/9ffa650b296b9c8967066edd5c4b66191b5f8ef475a8d703d59958699cccc6c7" />
The decision to withdraw the music catalogue also stems from UMG's criticism of TikTok's perceived lack of effort in safeguarding their artists from AI Technology and bullying. A notable illustration of the need for artist protection is the case of Frank Ocean, where a scammer profited substantially by selling AI-generated music using his voice. It's worth noting that while most of Frank Ocean's songs, like 'Blonde,' are under his ownership, the album 'Endless' falls under UMG's jurisdiction.
Read: <a href="https://myc.my/articles/2455/scammer-makes-thousands-after-selling-fake-frank-ocean-songs-generated-by-ai">Scammer Makes Thousands After Selling Fake Frank Ocean Songs Generated By AI</a>
TikTok Address The Statement
<img src="https://r2.myc.my/cfb858de2b60e9ef5a6cb91090c4358ae4f5c6c4ddbfcf24172724245c2016cf" />
Following UMG's letter, TikTok responded by characterizing the company as "sad and disappointing" for prioritizing personal interests over those of their artists and songwriters. TikTok underscored its commitment to "artist-first" agreements with every other label and publisher, condemning Universal's actions as self-serving and contrary to the best interests of artists, songwriters, and fans. In a contrasting move, TikTok successfully secured a new licensing agreement with Warner Music Group in July, ensuring continued access to songs from artists such as Lizzo, Panic! at the Disco, Blake Shelton, and the Doors.
&ldquo;Clearly, Universal&rsquo;s self-serving actions are not in the best interests of artists, songwriters, and fans,&rdquo; they said.
What Happens To The Existing Videos On TikTok?
As of Thursday, TikTok creators' videos featuring artists whose music was previously permitted were still present on the platform. However, a note accompanied these videos, indicating that the music was now unavailable. The entire video's sound was muted, even if the artist's music was used briefly. Although the videos remained accessible, the absence of sound rendered them virtually ineffective on a platform where dancing and lip-syncing play a significant role in content creation. This modification extends globally, impacting TikTok videos created in various countries, not limited to specific regions.
<img src="https://r2.myc.my/a98b879699dc02b23fcf5b82d01b0c14e061b7fd5c536fbd5c268c27f1861f9e" />
If your videos had their music removed &mdash; a situation affecting numerous TikTok creators with hundreds or even thousands of videos impacted &mdash; a notification will appear on the thumbnail of those videos. TikTok should offer you the option to choose an alternative sound from non-UMG music. The selection encompasses popular TikTok songs like Paul Russell's "Lil Boo Thang," Cyndi Lauper's 1983 hit "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," as well as tracks by Coolio, Green Day, Weezer, and others.
While some video creators attempted a workaround by using modified versions of the original UMG song, such clips are likely to face bans from audio-detection software. Video creators may find it beneficial to explore independent music available on TikTok or create their own background soundtrack. Interestingly, this ban might turn out to be advantageous for independent musicians, as creators seek new music, potentially leading to the viral spread of their work.
Here's some of the reactions of artists on the issue:
Conan Gray initially teased that his career was over but humorously anticipates an influx of creative acapella covers making their way to TikTok.
<blockquote class="tiktok-embed" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@rollingstone/video/7330861908607831342" data-video-id="7330861908607831342">
<section><a title="@rollingstone" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@rollingstone?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@rollingstone</a> @conangray: &ldquo;I think there&rsquo;s gonna be a lot of interesting acapella covers happening from UMG artists until this is settled.&rdquo; <a title="conangray" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/conangray?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#conangray</a> <a title="conangrayfanpage" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/conangrayfanpage?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#conangrayfanpage</a> <a title="umg" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/umg?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#umg</a> <a title="universal" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/universal?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#universal</a> <a title="tiktoksounds" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/tiktoksounds?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#tiktoksounds</a> <a title="music" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/music?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#music</a> <a title="conangrayedit" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/conangrayedit?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#conangrayedit</a> <a title="fyp" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#fyp</a> <a title="fypシ" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp%E3%82%B7?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#fypシ</a> <a title="foryou" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/foryou?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#foryou</a> <a title="foryoupage" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/foryoupage?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#foryoupage</a> <a title="spotify" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/spotify?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#spotify</a> <a title="♬ original sound - Rolling Stone" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7330861967214988075?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">♬ original sound - Rolling Stone</a></section>
</blockquote>

<script async="" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>

British artist Yungblud finds it truly mind-blowing, emphasizing that it serves as a significant reminder for himself and, ideally, other artists. The essence of his sentiment revolves around the notion that the creative output of artists should not be beholden to massive tech companies and the metrics they present.
<blockquote class="tiktok-embed" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@yungblud/video/7330699311669316896" data-video-id="7330699311669316896">
<section><a title="@yungblud" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@yungblud?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@yungblud</a>
thoughts?
<a title="♬ original sound - yungblud" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7330699337057520417?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">♬ original sound - yungblud</a></section>
</blockquote>

<script async="" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>

Meanwhile, Canadian rapper Alexander Leon Gumuchain, better known by his stage name bbno$ (baby no money), has embraced a humorous approach to the situation. He turned his best song, 'Edamame' featuring Rich Brian, into a meme by uploading a remix on the platform. For a bit of context, if you haven't been following him, he's known for turning many things into jokes, always with a good-natured spirit. So, we reckon he isn't too "salty" about it being taken down.
<blockquote class="tiktok-embed" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@bbnotiktok/video/7331478351942618373" data-video-id="7331478351942618373">
<section><a title="@bbnotiktok" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@bbnotiktok?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@bbnotiktok</a>
i hope you like it 🥹
<a title="♬ edamame - bbno$" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/edamame-7331446512390130438?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">♬ edamame - bbno$</a></section>
</blockquote>

<script async="" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>

By the looks of it, this issue may not be settled so easily and we wouldn&rsquo;t know when will UMG and TikTok will settle their views. On a side note, this is the best time for artists who have their very own Independent Record Labels to promote their music as they have all the control to strategies their career direction. It&rsquo;s also the best time for our local indie artist in Malaysia as well as others around the world to shine as TikTok users will need to get creative in selecting a song they want to use for the next upcoming trend. 
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments. 
&nbsp;
*Sources: Visual and Reference Credits to Social Media, Cnet, TikTok, Rolling Stone &amp; various cross-references for context.
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TikTok Purge: Universal Music Group Removes Their Music Catalog Due To Dispute

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TikTok Purge: Universal Music Group Removes Their Music Catalog Due To Dispute

Welcome to the muted era of TikTok.

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