Earlier this year, Universal Music Group (UMG) made good on its threat to remove its extensive catalog of music from TikTok after failing to reach a deal with the platform. The label represents some of the biggest artists in the world, including Drake, Ariana Grande, SZA, Billie Eilish, The Weeknd, Coldplay, and Taylor Swift.
Because of this, the once music-filled app felt eerily silent for a while — although it did present a great opportunity for non-UMG indie artists to get a brief glimpse of the spotlight.
Nearly three months later, the app has settled into a new normal, sans many of these artists’ biggest hits. But now, it looks like Taylor Swift has struck her own deal with TikTok.
Are Taylor Swift’s songs back on TikTok?
On April 11, TikTok users discovered that a number of Taylor Swift songs had returned. These included hits like “You Belong With Me,” “Lover,” and “Cruel Summer.”
A number of “Taylor’s Version” songs, like “Fearless,” “Is It Over Now,” and “Style,” also appeared.
This is a great moment for Swifties. After all her legal trouble with Scooter Braun, you can’t blame Swift for wanting control over how her songs are distributed on TikTok.
Why does this matter for creators?
However, on the other hand, this shows how smaller creators remain the ones most hurt by these corporate conflicts.
Only the biggest and most successful creators have the option of even negotiating deals like this. This feels a little counter-productive when you consider how smaller artists with UMG would benefit most from the exposure.
Sadly, this story goes to show that privilege and influence still count much more than anything else in the music industry.
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