In a recent licensing dispute between TikTok and Universal Music Group, the social media platform faced a music blackout as negotiations collapsed. Universal accused TikTok of insufficient payment and diluted royalty pools. This leads to the removal of its music, including tracks by renowned artists like Taylor Swift and Drake. The fallout resulted in a silent TikTok library, affecting user videos and artist profiles.Â
@iheartradioca What are your thoughts on this? #universalmusic #taylorswift #justinbieber #arianagrande 📷: Univeral, TikTok
Known Universal Music Artists Removed from TikTok
Here’s a list of known Universal Music artists removed from the platform.
Artist Name |
|---|
| Adele |
| Andrea Bocelli |
| Ariana Grande |
| Billie Eilish |
| BTS |
| Demi Lovato |
| Drake |
| Elton John |
| Eminem |
| Gwen Stefani |
| Imagine Dragons |
| Justin Bieber |
| Kanye West |
| Katy Perry |
| Kendrick Lamar |
| Lady Gaga |
| Lana Del Rey |
| Lorde |
| Mariah Carey |
| Maroon 5 |
| Nicki Minaj |
| Post Malone |
| Rihanna |
| Sam Smith |
| Selena Gomez |
| Shawn Mendes |
| Taylor Momsen |
| Taylor Swift |
| The Weeknd |
| U2 |
| SZA |
Disclaimer: Please note that these are some of the artists that are known to have been removed from the TikTok app. There are still some Universal Music artists that are not included in this list.
TikTok vs. Universal Music
TikTok and Universal Music Group are locked in a tense battle over music licensing. Universal, housing stars like Taylor Swift, accused TikTok of underpaying and hosting too many AI-generated tracks. In response, TikTok removed content featuring Universal’s artists, leaving users with muted videos.
It remains unknown whether TikTok and Universal Music will reach an agreement. Until then, let’s await further news.
