The return of the singer’s songs to the platform comes eight days before the release of her eleventh studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department”
Taylor Swift fans were surprised this Thursday (4/11) to realize that the singer’s songs have returned to the TikTok catalog. In January, the platform lost some of its content due to the failure to reach a mutual agreement with Universal Music Group (UMG), the label responsible for distributing music from the industry’s biggest names.
It is not yet clear whether the company managed to conclude a new contract, whether it was Taylor Swift’s own team who requested the deal or whether it was just a digital error. In any case, all the songs for which the artist owns the masters are available to be used in the short videos.
Importantly, the songs’ return to the platform comes eight days before the release of their eleventh studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department”, the successor to the award-winning “Midnights”.
Understand more!
In January this year, TikTok lost some of Taylor Swift’s material in a debate over artist compensation and the use of artificial intelligence (AI), which has dominated the platform’s content.
The record company stated that the platform had offered a lower deal than what it had already paid and that, therefore, it had decided to no longer license its artists’ songs. One technique would be to remove the growing bands while maintaining the consolidated star catalog.
“Ultimately, TikTok is trying to build a music-based business without paying a fair price for music,” UMG said in an official statement. “[Eles estavam] selectively removing music from some of our developing artists, while keeping our global stars who appeal to audiences on the platform.”
The story became even more complicated after Universal claimed that TikTok “tried to intimidate” them into agreeing to the new contract terms. “As our negotiations continued, TikTok attempted to force us to accept a deal that would be worth less than the previous one, less fair to market value, and that did not reflect their exponential growth,” he said in another excerpt from the note.
ABSOLUTELY ALL TAYLOR SWIFT SONGS BACK ON TIKTOK 8 DAYS BEFORE TTPD. MY GOD, THE STARS ARE IN OUR FAVOR
— nuno🧣 (@metmidnights) April 11, 2024
Taylor Swift is the only Republic/UMG artist to return to TikTok
— edinho (@ederhaze) April 11, 2024
TAYLOR SWIFT’S MUSIC IS BACK ON TIKTOK!?!? pic.twitter.com/8hBeOA5h54
— marco¹⁴ (@RT3NENBAUM) April 11, 2024
Source: Terra
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
