Impact of UMG Removing Songs from TikTok

Over one-third of TikTok’s most popular songs are gone after the social media giant and Universal Music Group couldn’t agree on licensing terms. Universal Music Group, which represents big-name artists like Taylor Swift, Drake, Olivia Rodrigo, and BTS, couldn’t agree on compensation for artists or how to keep users from creating a bootleg copy of an artist’s song and passing it off as their own. As a result, TikTok removed thousands, maybe millions, of songs from its library and muted clips that contained tracks from UMG’s artists. The change occurred in early February, so everyone is still assessing the fallout.

We’ll explore what this means for brands and influencers.

What creators are worried about

The disagreement leaves a big hole in TikTok’s music library, but plenty of still audio tracks are still available. So, what are creators and brands worried about? Here are the main concerns:

Current content is muted

Millions of creators used UGM tracks in their content; now, those videos are muted. While the videos still exist, and followers can still watch them, influencers say it will hurt their channel. Some influencers worry that muted videos, which are silent without explanation, make them look incompetent, while others say those videos will no longer garner many views.

Going viral might be harder

Influencers say TikTok is a “sound on” platform that derives power from catchy tunes. With so many hits stripped from the library, they worry their content won’t be as effective.

Types of content might shift

TikTok is known for its dance clips and duets, and with thousands of tracks gone, influencers aren’t sure if dances and duets will remain in power. Can these videos still gain traction if big-name artists like Taylor Swift aren’t available? Time will tell, but it has influencers starting to brainstorm other ideas.

What creators are saying

As you might suspect, creators are buzzing about the decision. You don’t have to look hard to find creators like @sstrawberrylemonade, explaining her reaction to not being able to use pre-recorded video that has UMG tracks on it.

Another creator, @kamandlan explained why videos were muted and asked users how many of their videos were impacted, and @jarredjermaine, a TikTok creator who calls himself the CEO of music, begged for Taylor’s Switf’s songs to come back.

Tips to use music on TikTok

As you continue to use TikTok and its audio library, here are a few things to consider:

The library is still available, it’s just smaller

As a creator or brand, you might be worried about UMG’s break from TikTok. UMG tracks are already out of the library, so you can’t accidentally choose a song you shouldn’t. And, while UMG pulled its songs, they aren’t the only group supplying music. You’ll still see thousands of tracks licensed by record labels and independent artists.

Consider the pre-cleared royalty-free tracks

There are 600,000 royalty-free tracks that you can use. While these songs aren’t on the Billboard charts, you can pull a song or sound effect from this pool of options, knowing it’s royalty-free. These songs are ideal for any sponsored work.

Don’t try to remix or bootleg a pulled song

TikTok encourages users to record and use their sound, but if you’re thinking about remixing a Taylor Swift track or another popular song that was recently pulled, you could face the consequences, like having your account locked or being sued.

TikTok uses AI to scan sounds and identify copyrighted audio. If it’s spotted, users are asked to take it down, or TikTok mutes the sound. While TikTok was using this kind of technology long before the UMG disagreement, experts say they’ll likely put more resources into it after this dispute.

The moral of the story: Create original sounds, but don’t try to revive a removed track and call it your own.

Partner with sound-makers

If you use TikTok for commercial purposes, consider paying a subscription fee to a sound-making platform like Custom Sounds or Subscription Sounds. These TikTok partners can help brands and influencers create their music and sound effects to use on the platform. IZEA’s Solution Partners, available to many of our full-service clients, can also assist in creating custom music for campaigns.

In time, influencers and brands will adjust to the news and determine the impact that decision has on their content strategy. TikTok is still a popular platform, so experts say most people will stick with the platform and adapt the content they create.