How the UMG and TikTok Battle is Affecting Viral Content — GVSU PRSSA – Grand Valley State University Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America

If you’re an avid TikTok user like I am, you may have noticed that songs by Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Drake, and more, have been taken off TikTok. If you haven’t, let me fill you in. The Universal Music Group (UMG) owns various brands that engage in producing music, publishing music, merchandising, and audio-visual content. Under these brands are many of our favorite artists, and it’s UMG’s job to protect them. UMG’s contract with TikTok expired on January 31, 2024, and in the months leading up to the expiration, they tried to negotiate a new contract. UMG and TikTok did not see eye to eye during the negotiations, which led to UMG pulling all of its artist's songs off TikTok.

With the help of popular songs from artists such as Taylor Swift, TikTok videos are more likely to go viral. Since UMG has taken all of its artist’s songs off the platform, how will this affect how videos go viral on TikTok?

The Battle

UMG’s Point of View:

During the contract negotiations, UMG advocated for appropriate compensation for its artists, AI protection for artists, and online safety for TikTok users. On January 30, 2024, UMG released “An Open Letter to the Artist and Songwriter Community - Why We Must Call Time Out on TikTok” on its website. The letter starts by outlining its core mission to help its artists and songwriters achieve their creative and commercial potential. The rest of the letter highlights how TikTok “attempted to bully us into accepting a deal worth less than the previous deal.” UMG combats that by staying true to its mission by standing up for its artists and songwriters and their value.

TikTok’s Point of View:

On January 30, 2024, TikTok responded to UMG’s letter on its website titled “TikTok Statement in Response to Universal Music Group.” The opening line of the response reads, “It is sad and disappointing that Universal Music Group has put their own greed above the interests of their artists and songwriters.” Off the bat, it is clear that TikTok is upset about UMG not accepting the deal. TikTok argues that they have been able to reach artist-first agreements with other labels and that UMG does not have the best interests of its artists and songwriters because of its selfish actions. Since TikTok is such a powerful platform, UMG is demanding more money for itself instead of negotiating with the artists’ interests in mind.

What Types of Videos Go Viral on TikTok?

Following a certain format makes your video more likely to go viral on TikTok. The best way to go viral on TikTok is by using trending music. Oftentimes, new music is discovered on TikTok while older music is rediscovered. One artist on TikTok invested $20,000 into TikTok to promote his music, and now his songs have been taken off the platform. If you look at TikTok’s explore page or popular creators, you will be able to determine which part of the songs are trending at that moment. Another aspect to consider is the part of the song is trending at the moment. Recently, the bridge on Taylor Swift’s song “Is It Over Now” was trending but the the rest of the song was not.

What does this mean for TikTok creators?

Now that UMG has taken its artist's songs off TikTok, how does that affect viral content? Well, now it is not dependent on what sound or song is used, and creators will have to get creative. It is now a trend on TikTok, for creators to sing songs they would have added to their video because they are now unavailable on the app.

Many small businesses rely heavily on trending songs from many of UMG’s artists to get their videos to reach more people on TikTok. Without these trending songs, it is harder for them to expand their reach and market their business. Thus, decreasing the likelihood that businesses are going to want to use TikTok to grow their business. The Universal Music Group and TikTok deal is not only affecting the artists, it is also affecting the creators on TikTok. So, are you team TikTok or UMG?

About Madison

Madison is a Senior currently studying Marketing at GVSU with a minor in Advertising and Public Relations. She works as the Student Communications Assistant for the GVSU Alumni Relations Department where she sends event promotional emails and updates the websites. This is Madison’s first year in GrandPR as an Account Executive. She will be graduating a semester early in December 2024, where she hopes to start her career in the automotive industry.