Swifties received a sudden shock when they found out that Taylor Swift‘s music was no longer available on TikTok. As such, they are wondering why that is the case and are also curious as to whether her songs would come back on the platform. Here is all that is known.
Why are Taylor Swift’s songs not on TikTok anymore?
Taylor Swift’s songs are no longer on TikTok due to the expiration of a licensing deal between the social media platform and the record label company representing Swift, Universal Music Group (UMG).
Swift’s songs were taken out of TikTok owing to the expiration of the licensing deal between TikTok and UMG, who failed to reach a new agreement to renew the license. UMG stated that they would no longer allow the music of the artists they represented on the video-sharing platform.
The takedown of not only Taylor Swift’s music but also music belonging to artists such as Drake, Ariana Grande, and Billie Eilish began overnight as confirmed by TikTok to the Associated Press on Thursday. As of writing, a vast number of popular songs from Swift and other artists disappeared from the platform.
UMG addressed the expiration of the deal in a 31st January 2024 letter where they claimed that they had been pressing TikTok about three issues which were:
- Appropriate compensation for their artists and songwriters
- Protecting human artists from the harmful effects of AI
- Online safety for TikTok users
UMG then claimed that TikTok offered to pay Swift and other artists represented by UMG a fraction of the rate offered to them by other social media platforms that make use of their music, adding that TikTok only made about 1% of its total revenue.
Will Taylor Swift’s songs return to TikTok?
It is unknown if Taylor Swift’s songs will return to TikTok anytime soon, as of writing.
The return of Taylor Swift’s songs is dependent on the renewal of the licensing deal between TikTok and UMG. If it is successfully renewed in the future then Swift’s songs will return to the platform.
For more entertainment, here is the Shudder line-up for February 2024. Also, here are the best Matthew Vaughn movies to watch after Argylle.
