Universal Music Group and TikTok have announced a new licensing agreement that will restore the label’s songs and artists to the social media platform as well as give musicians more protections from artificial intelligence.
TikTok began removing Universal’s content from its app after their licensing deal expired in January and the two sides failed to reach agreement on royalties, AI and online safety for TikTok’s users.
Describing their new pact as a multi-dimensional deal, the companies said they were working expeditiously to return music by the label’s artists to TikTok, and also said they would team up to realise new monetization opportunities from TikTok’s growing e-commerce capabilities.
The deal comes amid questions over TikTok’s long-term future in the United States, after President Joe Biden signed legislation that gives TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, 270 days to sell its U.S. assets.
Although TikTok has vowed to file suit to challenge the legislation, which it calls a ban.
