#SwiftTok had a tough day. Sound from artists including Taylor Swift, Drake and others went silent early Thursday morning after Universal Music Group and his TikTok failed to reach an agreement regarding music licensing for his UMG artists on the app.
“Some of my most viewed videos are ones that talk about Taylor Swift with Taylor Swift songs in the background,” says Savannah Derulo, TikTok's Wordle influencer and Swiftie . “So it's pretty sad that they're silent, because we've worked so hard.”
Derulo says creators may switch to alternate versions of official songs or experiment with ways to avoid copyrighted music altogether, but the mood on #SwiftTok is still far from positive. points out.
“Half of my drafts are now muted,” says Swift fan and TikTok creator Madeline McRae. Although McRae was initially dissatisfied with the change, she thinks it could have a positive impact. While many of her devoted fans appreciate the online community she has built through social media, some are uncomfortable with her poetic songs being flattened into her 60-second memes. “Songs that the Swifties used to keep are probably not going to be on TikTok now,” she says.
Swifties aren't the only ones missing music on TikTok. Several videos posted to Olivia Rodrigo's official account have now gone silent, including one that has been viewed more than 50 million times. Similarly, his TikTok containing his UMG-licensed music, which Billie Eilish posted to promote her album, displays the message “This sound is not available.”
In recent years, UMG and other labels have built marketing strategies around using the TikTok algorithm to make their songs go viral. Young users consider this platform a great way to find their next favorite song, create cool playlists, and more. Unless TikTok and UMG reach a new agreement soon, the ban could dramatically change the way artists tease new music and connect with fans through social media.
Bernie Hooper, TikTok's global head of music communications, indicated in an email to WIRED that the change only affects UMG's music, and videos containing previously licensed music are subject to a separate agreement. We confirmed that the mute remains muted until the TikTok may also take steps to remove songs from Universal Music Publishing Group's catalog soon, increasing the number of affected artists.
So while licensed music from UMG artists is gone from TikTok for now, it remains unclear what will happen to unofficial remixes and mashups as their catalogs are purged from the platform. Sounds that go viral on TikTok are sometimes warped versions of original songs, often with sped-up vocals, and while some of those sounds remained on the platform Thursday, they may not stay for much longer. There is.
A famous musician for almost two decades, Swift has seen her popularity skyrocket in recent years. Her Elas tours are so large that they have the power to impact the local economy, including trips to NFL games to watch her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, play. The appearance changed football ratings this season. Losing not only her music, but also Drake and other songs from UMG's lineup, could change the structure of TikTok itself.
Swift's songs may no longer be all over the platform, but music is still core to the user experience of scrolling through TikTok. We might even usher in a new era for the For You Page feed as snippets of great artists continue to disappear. “I feel like there's a silver lining to this, that small or independent artists have a chance to go viral,” McRae says.
