Taylor Swift Songs Return to TikTok Amid Ongoing Dispute with Universal Music

Taylor Swift's songs are back on TikTok despite the ongoing licensing dispute of the platform with her record label, Universal Music Group.

Ahead of the release of her new album, older songs of the American pop idol quietly returned to the video-sharing site, allowing people to use the tracks for their videos once again.

Universal Music Group pulled out Swift's songs, along with other music artists under the record label, after failing to reach an agreement with TikTok over licensing fees last January.

Universal and TikTok have yet to reach another agreement on a new licensing deal.

Many of the videos using the artist's official songs were suddenly muted at the start of February as her song catalog disappeared from the platform.

Taylor Swift Songs are a Special Case

While some of Swift's songs may be back on the platform, there are no indications that other artists' songs under the Universal Music label will also return to TikTok.

A report from Variety suggest that Swift was able to make a separate deal with TikTok thanks to her unique deal with Universal in 2020, allowing the musician to own the rights to her songs.

Swift is set to release her eleventh studio album, "The Tortured Poets Department," on April 19, via Republic Records, a Universal Music Group subsidiary.

TikTok, Universal Contest Over AI Misuse, Piracy Allegations

The licensing dispute between TikTok and Universal ignited into public knowledge following an open letter from Universal accusing the platform of "allowing the platform to be flooded with A.I.-generated recordings."

According to the music label, the rampant use of AI is depriving its artists of financial compensation as TikTok users steal their likenesses to produce their own songs and recordings without permission.

In response, TikTok accused Universal of putting "their own greed above the interests of their artists and songwriters."

The platform asserted that it has already reached "'artist-first' agreements with every other label and publisher," suggesting that Universal's "self-serving actions are not in the best interests of artists, songwriters and fans."

As of writing, only cover and edited tracks from songs under Universal were able to bypass the music label's copyright policy into TikTok.