Taylor Swift's songs reappear on TikTok ahead of pop star's new album release despite dispute
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Taylor Swift's songs are back on TikTok after her label, Universal Music Group, pulled the pop star's music from the platform due to an ongoing royalties dispute with the social media giant.
On Thursday, songs from the 34-year-old singer-songwriter's catalog reappeared on the platform for the first time since Feb. 1, when UMG's licensing deal with TikTok expired. Swift's return to TikTok comes a week before the release of her highly anticipated 11th studio album, "The Tortured Poets Department," April 19.
The songs that were made available again to TikTok content creators included tracks from the 14-time Grammy Award winner's "Lover," "folklore," "evermore" and "Midnights" albums and her re-recorded versions of her "Fearless," "Speak Now," "Red" and "1989" albums.
Only songs from the two albums Swift has yet to re-record — her debut self-titled album and her sixth studio album "Reputation" — did not return to TikTok.
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On Jan. 31, UMG announced it had failed to reach a new licensing agreement with TikTok and initiated the removal of its artists' music catalogs from the platform.
Some of the biggest names signed to UMG include Swift, Drake, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Elton John, Camila Cabello, Sting, The Weeknd, Bob Dylan, Alicia Keys, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Post Malone, Bad Bunny, Kendrick Lamar, Harry Styles, Adele, Brandi Carlile, Pearl Jam, Coldplay and U2.
The ongoing dispute between the two giants centers on several critical issues, including compensation for artists and songwriters, the handling of AI-generated music and measures to ensure online safety and safeguarding against hate speech, bigotry, bullying and harassment.
On Jan. 30, UMG announced it was unable to reach a new agreement with TikTok in a statement titled "An open letter to the artist and songwriter community — why we must call time out on TikTok."
In the statement, UMG accused TikTok of trying to coerce the company into accepting an unfavorable agreement, one that falls short of addressing the record label's concerns over fair artist remuneration, the implications of generative AI on copyright and creativity and the assurance of a safe online environment for both creators and users.
The company, which noted that only 1% of its total revenue was generated from TikTok, said the platform was "trying to build a music-based business, without paying fair value for the music."
"We recognize the challenges that TikTok’s actions will cause and do not underestimate what this will mean to our artists and their fans who, unfortunately, will be among those subjected to the near-term consequences of TikTok’s unwillingness to strike anything close to a market-rate deal and meaningfully address its obligations as a social platform," UMG stated.
"But we have an overriding responsibility to our artists to fight for a new agreement under which they are appropriately compensated for their work, on a platform that respects human creativity, in an environment that is safe for all, and effectively moderated."
In response, TikTok expressed disappointment, suggesting UMG's actions were motivated by self-interest, undermining the benefits offered by a platform that boasts a user base of over a billion people. TikTok criticized UMG for prioritizing profit over the interests of the artists and songwriters it represents.
Swift's music is the first to return to TikTok since the deal's expiration. The catalogs of other Universal artists were still unavailable Thursday.
The circumstances that enabled the return of Swift's music to TikTok are unclear, though the "Blank Space" hitmaker owns her masters as part of the terms of her deal with UMG.
Representatives for Swift, UMG and TikTok did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Fox News Digital's Kurt Knudsson contributed to this report.
Original article source: Taylor Swift's songs reappear on TikTok ahead of pop star's new album release despite dispute
