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Universal Music Group (UMG) has decided to withdraw its music catalog from TikTok, stemming from unsuccessful negotiations with the popular video-content platform. The music juggernaut has some of the biggest names in the industry under its umbrella, and that includes renowned K-pop acts.
The company captioned the announcement through an open letter on X on January 31, as follows:
"Our core mission is simple: to help our artists & songwriters attain their greatest creative and commercial potential, which is why we must call time out on TikTok."
Following disputes about accurate compensation and privacy protection from AI, the same will be in effect on January 31, 2024. For the unversed, major labels like Geffen Records, UMG Japan, Imperial Music, Republic Records, Interscope Records, and more are inked under UMG.
These record labels are home to K-pop mammoths like JYPE artists, HYBE artists, SM Entertainment artists, YG Entertainment's BLACKPINK, (G)I-DLE, and more.
Since the news came out, K-pop enthusiasts worldwide have been on edge about the contents of their favorite artists getting wiped out from TikTok and dreading its consequences in the future.
What led to the termination of the contract between Universal Music Group and TikTok, and which K-pop acts may be potentially affected?
Universal Music Group, through their official statement released on January 30, 2024, made it clear that they aim to ensure their artists and songwriters' "greatest creative and commercial potential." Their worldwide partnerships also follow the same ideal, with TikTok having been one of the key partners with a widespread global user base. They further stated:
"As with many other platforms with whom we partner, TikTok’s success as one of the world’s largest social platforms has been built in large part on the music created by our artists and songwriters."
UMG listed their disagreements with the majorly music-based app boiled down to three key concerns: fair compensation for their artists and songwriters, safeguarding human artists from AI's harmful influence, and ensuring online safety for the platform's user base. The company even chalked down the progress they have made to combat such issues with other platform partners. They revealed:
"With respect to the issue of artist and songwriter compensation, TikTok proposed paying our artists and songwriters at a rate that is a fraction of the rate that similarly situated major social platforms pay."
After shedding more light on the treatment their artists receive on the platform, they went on:
"But when we proposed that TikTok takes similar steps as our other platform partners to try to address these issues, it responded first with indifference, and then with intimidation."
Towards the end of the statement, Universal Music Group further reinstated their values towards the global artists signed under them and expressed concerns for their fans while promising to stand firm on their ideals.
Meanwhile, under their K-pop wing are artists like BTS, NMIXX, STAYC, all units of NCT, BLACKPINK (signed under Interscope), SEVENTEEN (under Geffen), IU (with EMI Music Japan), Jeon Somi (Universal Music Japan), and (G)I-DLE (Universal Music Japan), to name a few.
While some K-pop fans are reminded of the removal of K-pop songs from Spotify back in 2021, they remain concerned that Universal Music Group removing their music catalog from TikTok may have some effects on their faves.
TikTok has had a considerable influence in the K-music realm, be it through dance challenges or viral and trending songs. Despite that, it is banned in several countries, including India, the UK, Australia, and the Netherlands, among other places. In the USA, Montana became the first state to ban the app. Most of these concerns are due to national and personal security threats.
As the chart-topping names of the K-pop industry under Universal Music Group file off the platform, fans await what's to come in the future.
