Universal Music Pulls Catalog from TikTok, Leaving Artists In Limbo

Singer-songwriter Cody Fry was riding high. His song "Things You Said," a duet with Abby Cates, was exploding on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, racking up over 750,000 videos in a single day. Then, the music stopped. On Thursday, Universal Music Group (UMG), the world's largest music company, pulled its catalog from TikTok, effectively muting millions of fan-made videos featuring UMG artists like Fry, SZA, Taylor Swift, and Ice Spice.

This sudden silence came after negotiations between UMG and TikTok over licensing fees and royalty rates reached an impasse. UMG accused TikTok of "mishandling the rise of A.I.-generated music" and offering unfair royalty rates, while TikTok countered that they had reached "artist-first" agreements with other labels and publishers and accused UMG of "self-serving actions."

Caught in the crossfire are artists like Fry, who see TikTok as a crucial platform for promotion and discovery. "To have it cut short just as it was ramping up in its infancy is just - it's pretty devastating," Fry said. He, along with Noah Kahan (another UMG artist), expressed frustration on TikTok, highlighting the potential career impact of the platform's limited music library.

This incident underscores the growing importance of TikTok in the music industry. For many artists, particularly up-and-coming ones, viral moments on the platform can translate into record deals and wider audiences. The pressure to maintain a strong TikTok presence is immense, as artists like FKA twigs have acknowledged.

With UMG's catalog unavailable, millions of TikTok videos are now silent, and artists like Fry face an uncertain future. While negotiations continue, the impact on their careers and the music industry as a whole remains to be seen.