Viral KBS Music Bank TikTok challenge stairs to use a ticketing system following increased demand

On March 29, 2024, X user (@AboutMusicYT) reported that K-pop idols have to obtain a ticket to perform TikTok dance challenges at the Music Bank. Due to immense demand and a surge in the filming of the dance challenge videos for social media platforms, Music Bank created a special filming zone for idols to carry out this task.

Previously, South Korean rapper and record producer Zico started the dance video trend with MAMAMOO's Hwasa with his song Any Dance right before the pandemic. Since then BTS, BLACKPINK, Le Sserafim, Stray Kids, and every single idol group and Korean musician have followed suit. By 2024, it has become an integral part of the K-pop promotional schedule for every new release.

One of the most important parts of this trend is to film a dance challenge song for every comeback by the respective artist at the Music Bank.

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K-pop's dance video challenge might be affected due to UMG and TikTok's ongoing feud

"Dance Challenges" may be broadly classified into two groups. It starts when an artist launches a new song, issues a challenge, records a video including other celebrities, and publishes it. It also starts when someone in the public eye uploads a video of them dancing to a certain song.

It's now standard practice to add a portion labeled "challenge choreography," even if idol group choreography is still challenging.

In March 2024, K-pop artists will no longer be able to profit from the platform, though. Several K-pop songs that are connected to Universal Music Group (UMG) have been muted on TikTok following the failure of the platform to strike a new license agreement with the latter.

According to UMG, TikTok underpays songwriters and artists for the usage of their songs on the app. UMG is also concerned that a deluge of AI-generated music would swamp the market, diminishing the value of human-made music.

Since TikTok purportedly tried to establish a music-based company without paying fair value for the music, Universal Music Group recently stopped licensing content to the site. Following that, TikTok responded by stating that Universal Music Group's self-serving actions are not in the best interests of artists, songwriters, or fans.

Due to the inability of the two sides to reach a compromise on TikTok's payment to artists, UMG's license to TikTok was terminated in February 2024. Consequently, UMG's library of over three million songs was deleted from TikTok.

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Meanwhile, all the dance challenge videos are being uploaded on Instagram as the main source by all the K-pop and Korean artists since the music of every UMG-signed artist has been removed from TikTok. Universal Music Group artists include BTS, BLACKPINK, TWICE, NewJeans, SEVENTEEN, NCT 127, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Harry Styles, and more.