Universal Music Ends Dispute with TikTok Over New 'Multi-Dimensional' Deal

Universal Music Group has finally ended its feud with TikTok following the finalization of a new "multi-dimensional" licensing deal.

This means that songs from UMG artists like The Weeknd, Drake, Billie Eilish, and Ariana Grande will be back on the platform and available to use for background music, three months after the initial licensing deal expired.

In a press release on Thursday, the music publishing group said that the new licensing agreement will provide UMG artists with "industry-leading protections concerning generative AI."

The protective measures will include TikTok's effort to remove unauthorized use of AI-generated voices of UMG artists on the platform, "as well as tools to improve artist and songwriter attribution."

UMG Calls Out Against Rampant AI Abuse on TikTok

It can be remembered that the fallout between the two industry giants started after UMG accused the video-streaming platform of promoting AI-generated voices of its artists "without paying fair value for the music."

In response, TikTok accused the music group of putting "their own greed" over their artists and musicians, claiming that the platform remains "artist-first."

The dispute between the two industry giants waged throughout February to April as more videos on the platform were suddenly muted following the expiration of the previous licensing agreement.

Since then, TikTok has shifted the focus of its AI-powered tools towards brand marketing and advertisement over initial efforts to launch generative AI for regular users.

UMG Collabs with TikTok on 'New Monetization Opportunities' for TikTok Shop

In addition to the renewed music licensing, the new agreement will also feature "new monetization opportunities" for UMG to tap into TikTok's growing e-commerce platform.

There was not much information about the partnership on the in-app shop aside from debuting "integrated ticketing capabilities" to help label artists build both their finances and fanbase on the social platform.

According to a Bloomberg report, TikTok Shop hosts more than 500,000 sellers in the US alone, generating millions of dollars in annual revenue.

Worldwide, the platform reported over 15 million vendors last December, 6 million higher than the previous year.