Taylor Swift’s songs have returned to TikTok after a 10-week hiatus amid a licensing battle between the Chinese-owned video-sharing app and the pop superstar’s record label Universal Music, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. reported.
Fans of the “You Belong With Me,” “Lover” and “Cruel Summer” singer can now upload videos of her hits for the first time since January 31st.
FT, citing people familiar with the matter, added that Swift’s return to TikTok has been in the works for some time, and is scheduled for the release of her next studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, on April 19th. It added that this was done in advance.
According to the report, the pop superstar, unlike many other artists, owns the copyright to his recordings due to a contract he signed with Universal in 2018, which gives him control over where his work is published. It is said that she will be able to control it.
Representatives for TikTok, Universal Music and Taylor Swift did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
Swift’s songs were released in February after the app and UMG, which owns the rights to songs by superstars including Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish and Drake, failed to renew a licensing agreement that expired at the end of January. It had been removed from TikTok.
At the time, Universal Music accused TikTok of trying to “bully” the world’s largest music company into a deal that was less valuable than previous agreements, and reportedly claimed that TikTok was trying to “bully” the world’s largest music company into a deal that was less valuable than its previous agreement, and that TikTok reportedly It did not intend to address concerns about rights violations.
TikTok countered that Universal was engaging in “false narratives and rhetoric.”
Variety reported that Swift may have teamed up with TikTok to promote her upcoming release, The Tortured Poets Division, similar to her last album, Midnights, which featured all-new music.
For this album, the “Shake It Off” singer provided track reveal videos for every track on the album exclusively on the platform. This could potentially indicate that UMG has given the OK and an exception has been made for Swift, Variety said.
Artists generally support UMG regarding low royalty payments from TikTok and insufficient protections against AI, but they also recognize the power of the app.
Over the past five years, TikTok has emerged as one of the most powerful platforms for discovering and promoting music.
Swift began her career at Sony/ATV before signing an exclusive deal with UMG’s parent company, Universal Music Publishing Group, in 2020.
