Songs by Drake, Olivia Rodrigo, Lady Gaga and other popular artists are once again available for creators to use in their videos on TikTok after Universal Music Group and the platform agreed on a deal earlier this month.
Some of the label's catalog became available again on TikTok on Tuesday. Previously muted videos that used UMG tracks are also expected to have their sound restored.
A spokesperson for TikTok declined to comment on Tuesday. A spokesperson for UMG said it had no statement.
UMG, known as one of the “Big Three” global music companies, removed its songs from TikTok in February after it failed to reach an agreement with the social media platform over royalty payments and artificial intelligence protections. TikTok subsequently removed the sound from videos with UMG music, citing copyright issues.
(UMG has no relationship to NBCUniversal, the parent company of NBC News.)
The Dutch-American company’s licensed artists include The Beatles, Elton John, Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Bob Dylan, U2, Ariana Grande, SZA, Billie Eilish, Adele, Coldplay and many more.
Swift's music quietly returned to TikTok in April amid UMG and the platform's dispute. But other hits from UMG artists remained unavailable. The move left some UMG-affiliated artists unsure about how to promote new music, as a large part of their marketing strategies relied on TikTok.
After months of back and forth, the two parties struck a deal to bring UMG music back to the app. The agreement includes improved compensation for UMG songwriters and artists, promotional opportunities for them and "industry-leading protections" regarding generative artificial intelligence, the companies said.
TikTok has become a major tool for artists to promote their music. Numerous musicians such as Lil Nas X, Noah Kahan and Ice Spice —who have all been nominated for Grammys — snagged viral hits on the platform that catapulted their careers. The platform has the power to elevate new songs and forgotten hits, as users create trends, dances and skits with the music.
The UMG deal came amid TikTok's efforts to combat a potential ban in the U.S.
Congress passed a bill that would force TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, to sell the platform to a U.S.-based company or face a ban. President Joe Biden signed the bill into law on April 24.
TikTok sued the U.S. government on May 7, saying the potential ban violates the First Amendment.
