Universal Music will pull millions of songs from TikTok in a row over payments.
The move by the world’s biggest music label means that the Chinese social media giant will no longer have access to songs by artists ranging from Taylor Swift to The Beatles.
TikTok has been negotiating with Universal, which wants more for musicians and protection from the rise of AI.
Labels earn royalties when songs are played via streaming and social media.
But Universal, which controls a third of the world’s songs, has accused TikTok of ‘bullying’, saying it pays a ‘fraction’ of the rate that other sites pay.
Catalogue: Universal Music owns songs by artists from Taylor Swift (pictured) and Adele to The Beatles and Marvin Gaye
It said: ‘TikTok is trying to build a music-based business, without paying fair value.
‘We recognise the challenges TikTok’s actions will cause, and do not underestimate what this will mean to our artists and their fans who will be among those subjected to the near-term consequences of TikTok’s unwillingness to strike anything close to a market-rate deal.’
TikTok said: ‘It is sad and disappointing Universal has put greed above the interests of artists and songwriters.
Despite Universal’s false narrative and rhetoric, the fact is they have chosen to walk away from the powerful support of a platform with well over 1bn users’.
