TikTok users fume after app makes huge change to music
Topics: TikTok, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Music
Chelsea Connor
Featured Image Credit: Credit:Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images/ Getty stock
Topics: TikTok, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Music
TikTok creators aren’t happy after some of their favorite singers' music disappeared from the app.
TikTokers are currently fuming after the record label Universal Music Group (UMG) wiped all of the songs of artists such as Billie Eilish, Jon Batiste and Taylor Swift from the app, which creators claim has ‘ruined’ the app.
The music label decided to wipe their music from TikTok entirely after negotiations between the two companies fell through as they failed to reach an agreement over pay.
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On Wednesday, the soundtracks were muted from many TikTok videos after weeks of negotiations, and music from artists like Drake, Harry Styles and Adele will no longer be available going forwards.
TikTok creators, it's fair to say, are less than pleased - with many seeing their old videos having their soundtracks muted - displaying the message 'this sound isn't available'.
Even artists like Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo, who have posted TikTok videos to promote their new releases, now have silent clips on the social media website.
One TikToker raged: "So many posts are going to be muted now, this sucks."
Another said: "This is going to backfire. TikTok is how I find ALL of my music."
A third said: "Taylor, Nicki, Drake, Ariana, and more this is so crazy."
Creator Savannah Delullo, who regularly uses Swift's music in her videos, told Wired: "Some of my most viewed videos are ones talking about Taylor Swift that have Taylor Swift songs in the background.
"So, them being muted is pretty sad, because we put in all of that work."
Another Swiftie TikToker, Madeline Macrae, commented: "Half my drafts are muted now."
However, some Swifties have found a way round the disappearance of their favorite songs from the app.
Some TikTokers may have noticed an influx of creators attempting to sing Swift's songs themselves, with mixed results.
Meanwhile, TikTokers who previously posted covers of Swift's songs have found their music being used to soundtrack other users' videos.
Angela, an Argentinian Swiftie who spoke to NBC, said of people using her covers: "I want people to enjoy them, and if it also helps them that’s even better."
Announcing the decision to pull their music from Tiktoker, UMG said in a statement: "Our agreements with TikTok have expired because of TikTok’s unwillingness to appropriately compensate artists and songwriters, protect human artists from the harmful effects of AI, and address online safety issues for TikTok’s users."
TikTok hit back: "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."