Universal Music Group, Taylor Swift's record label, announced Wednesday that it will stop licensing her music to TikTok and accuses the video of bullying during their contract negotiations.
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The deal between UMG and TikTok, which is owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance, expired on Wednesday and no new terms have been agreed upon. This means UMG can withdraw its music catalog from TikTok.
In the open letter published on Wednesday, UMG says it has “pressured” TikTok during contract negotiations on three issues: “appropriate compensation for our artists and composers, protecting human artists from the negative impacts of artificial intelligence, and for safety online TikTok users.
The music company, which represents big names like Taylor Swift and Drake, said TikTok offered to pay its artists and songwriters “at a rate that is a fraction of what major social platforms.” UMG said only 1% of its total revenue comes from TikTok, despite its “massive and growing user base, rapidly rising advertising revenue and increasing reliance on music-based content.”
UMG also alleged that TikTok is allowing the platform to be “flooded” with AI-, as well as developing tools to “enable, promote and encourage” AI-generated music. According to UMG, TikTok “requires a contractual right that would allow this content to drastically dilute the earnings for human artists, in a move that amounts to nothing less than sponsoring AI-replacement artists.”
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The music industry is facing the rise of artificial intelligence, which can create music and even imitate the voices of great artists.
UMG also says that TikTok “is making minimal effort to address the large volume of content on platform that infringes on artists’ music.”
Taylor Swift and other artists' agency accuses TikTok of intimidation and bullying tactics during contract negotiations.
When we suggested that TikTok take similar measures as our other partners to address these issues, it initially responded with indifference and then attempted to intimidate us, UMG said.
“As our negotiations continued, TikTok tried to bully us into accepting a deal that was worth less than our previous deal, far less than fair market value, and did not reflect their exponential growth. How did they try to bully us? By selectively deleting the music of some of our emerging artists while keeping our global stars with large audiences on the platform.”
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AI music has the potential to create new melodies and songs, offering an endless source of original content for social media. This could lead to a revolution in the way we consume and create music. Furthermore, AI music can adapt to the preferences and aesthetic criteria of each user, offering a more personalized listening experience. This can enhance user interaction with the platform and increase their loyalty.
AI music also enables real-time music creation, offering new possibilities for live streaming and interactive performances. This could open up new avenues for entertainment on social media, offering a more interactive and dynamic experience.
Finally, AI music can change the way we promote and distribute music on social media. With the ability to create songs that are tailored to audience preferences, AI can make music more accessible and appealing to a wider audience.
Source: cnbc
