Why Are So Many Sounds Disappearing From TikTok? Here Are The AI Songs That May Have Lead To UMG Cutting The TikTok Chord

Universal Music Group, one of the world's biggest music conglomerates, went ahead with its decision to remove its artists' discographies from the video-sharing platform TikTok on January 31st. The move caused a massive fuss on TikTok, with music from many major artists like Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Drake, The Weeknd, and many more getting pulled from the app overnight.

But what exactly caused this sudden breakdown in music licensing rights between TikTok and UMG? Here's what the press is saying about the recent negotiations between the two companies, as well as a breakdown of whether your favorite artist is being gagged on TikTok this year.

Why Did So Many Sounds Disappear From TikTok in Early 2024?

Many popular songs and snippets vanished from TikTok's built-in song identification and labeling system toward the end of January 2024 as a result of negotiations between the artist's record label and the video-sharing app falling through.

Universal Music Group (UMG) is one of the world's three biggest music conglomerates and has signed over 6,700 artists directly or through subsidiary record companies. On January 30th, 2024, UMG posted an "open letter" titled, "AN OPEN LETTER TO THE ARTIST AND SONGWRITER COMMUNITY – WHY WE MUST CALL TIME OUT ON TIKTOK."

The letter delved into UMG's reasons for pulling its artists' catalogs from TikTok, citing unfair compensation as well as concerns about the use of AI-generated music on the platform.

“TikTok proposed paying our artists and songwriters at a rate that is a fraction of the rate that similarly situated major social platforms pay. Today, as an indication of how little TikTok compensates artists and songwriters, despite its massive and growing user base, rapidly rising advertising revenue, and increasing reliance on music-based content, TikTok accounts for only about 1% of our total revenue.”

TikTok responded in a statement of its own, saying:

Despite Universal’s false narrative and rhetoric, the fact is they have chosen to walk away from the powerful support of a platform with well over a billion users that serves as a free promotional and discovery vehicle for their talent.
TikTok has been able to reach ‘artist-first’ agreements with every other label and publisher. Clearly, Universal’s self-serving actions are not in the best interests of artists, songwriters, and fans.

Which Artists Are Going To Be Affected By UMG's Decisions?

Universal Music Group claims that over 6,700 artists will be affected by the failed licensing deal attempt, with a full catalog of artists being listed on Wikipedia here. Some of the artists being pulled from TikTok have previously found their voices being used to create AI-generated songs.

In April 2023, TikToker @ghostwriter posted a clip he called Heart on My Sleeve, claiming to have used AI to imitate the voices of rapper Drake and singer The Weeknd.

Later in 2023, Bad Bunny saw his voice being replicated by AI users after a track called NostalgIA went viral on TikTok. Originally posted to YouTube by Chilean artist Mauricio Bustos, the track angered Bad Bunny to the point where he disavowed any fan who chose to associate or share the song.

But the list of musicians no longer playing songs on TikTok doesn't stop there; also affected are other massive artists like Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, SZA, Kendrick Lamar, and a host of other artists signed to UMG's smaller subsidiaries.

How Did People React To The News About TikTok Losing Sounds?

Many people reacted negatively to the news about negotiations between UMG and TikTok breaking down, saying that it is small artists and aspiring musicians who will bear the brunt of no longer being able to promote their music on the app. UMG's role as one of music's biggest companies also limits artists who may want to sign onto a UMG-affiliated label in the future, especially if they rely on exposure through TikTok to promote their work.

TikTokers responded to the news about their favorite app getting quieter in typical TikTok fashion; by making jokes and having a laugh at their fate.

For the full history of Universal Music Group Removing Its Music From TikTok, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.