TikTok and Universal Music Group (UMG) have signed a new agreement.
As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the companies previously agreed to a licensing agreement that brought UMG’s recorded music and publishing catalogs back to TikTok. It was described as a “new era of strategic collaboration” at the time of its announcement in 2024, with promises to provide new monetization opportunities and protections for human artistry amid the rise of AI in the music industry, per TikTok’s newsroom.
“We look forward to working together to forge a path that creates deeper connections between artists, creators, and fans. In particular, we will work together to make sure that AI tools are developed responsibly to enable a new era of musical creativity and fan engagement while protecting human creativity,” said Ole Obermann, TikTok’s global head of music business development, at the time.
Latest Agreement Explained
TikTok and Universal Music Group (UMG) have announced a new multi-year global license agreement to enhance the experiences of artists, songwriters, creators, and fans. TikTok will maintain access to UMG’s recorded music and publishing catalog. It will also work to strengthen its efforts with creators and UMG’s artists and songwriters, including expanding marketing and advertising campaigns and widening access to e-commerce and “other artist-centric tools,” according to a press release. It also said it will work to empower artists further globally and open new pathways across discovery, fandom, and digital experiences.
Furthermore, the companies will collaborate to remove AI-generated music from the platform and will improve attribution for artists and songwriters.
“We’re proud of the pioneering work we’ve done with TikTok to create wide-ranging benefits for our artists and songwriters,” Executive Vice-President & Chief Digital Officer of Universal Music Group Michael Nash said in the press release. “With this new agreement, we look forward to driving innovative new fan experiences, while further improving social media monetization, and protecting and amplifying human artistry.”
Tracy Gardner, global head of music business development at TikTok, commented:
“We’re excited to take our partnership with UMG to the next level and build on the strong foundation we’ve already created together for artists, songwriters, and fans. TikTok is a unique platform where music discovery, culture, and fandom intersect, and this agreement will help create even more opportunities for artists and songwriters to engage audiences, grow their communities, and achieve career success on a global scale.”
