Photo Credit: File Photo
Taylor Swift's melodies have made a comeback on TikTok amidst a prolonged feud with her music distributor Universal Music Group over royalties. This resurgence coincides with the impending release of her highly anticipated album, "The Tortured Poets Department," slated for next week.It has recently been confirmed that the presence of Swift's songs in TikTok's music repertoire, are now available for users crafting new content.
In January, Universal Music Group withdrew music from its stable of artists, including Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Camila Cabello, and Rihanna. This move followed the release of a statement titled "An open letter to the artist and songwriter community — why we must call time out on TikTok," wherein the expiration of its licensing agreement with the platform was cited. Consequently, music by Universal artists vanished from TikTok videos, accompanied by notices citing copyright violations.
Universal Music Group asserted that TikTok proposed compensating its artists and songwriters "a fraction of the rate that similarly situated major social platforms pay." The contention arose from TikTok's attempt to establish a music-centric business model without remunerating artists equitably. Despite TikTok contributing merely about 1% to Universal's total revenue, concerns persisted over the platform's allowance of AI-generated recordings. Universal criticized TikTok's facilitation and promotion of this music creation mode, fearing it would significantly diminish royalties for human artists.
Details regarding the terms facilitating Swift's return to TikTok remain undisclosed. Neither Universal Music Group, TikTok, nor Taylor Swift's spokesperson has offered commentary on the matter. Notably, music from other Universal artists still remains absent from the platform.
Swift's announcement of her latest album coincided with her acceptance of her 13th Grammy award in February. Since then, she has tantalized fans with glimpses of album covers, song titles, and a countdown to its April 19 release date across various social platforms. "The Tortured Poets Department" will mark Swift's 11th studio album, promising a musical journey awaited eagerly by fans worldwide.
Jeff Ian.
