Simply days after the Common Music Group‘s publishing catalog started coming down from TikTok, Common Music Publishing Group (UMPG) launched a brand new assertion stressing its issues about synthetic intelligence and on-line security on the short-form video app. The corporate said these are “equally” essential points to TikTok lack of “honest compensation” to songwriters.
UMPG additionally acknowledged in its new assertion that “the disruption is troublesome for a few of [its songwriters]” however says leaving the TikTok app is “essential for the sustained future worth, security and well being of the complete music ecosystem.”
On the finish of January, UMG introduced in a letter to its artists and songwriters that it might be permitting its license with TikTok to run out, saying that TikTok refused to pay the “honest worth” of music and no deal could possibly be reached. (Tiktok fired again with its personal assertion, hours later, saying UMG’s determination was motivated by “greed”.) Inside days, UMG tracks had been faraway from Tiktok en masse, together with the catalogs of superstars Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Drake, BTS and extra who’re signed to UMG document labels. Within the letter, the corporate famous that these takedowns would additionally embrace its publishing arm, UMPG, however the publishing-related removals didn’t start till Tuesday, Feb. 26.
Now, any track, even when it was launched by a non-UMG document label, is topic to takedown on TikTok if even one UMPG-signed songwriter was concerned in its creation. As a result of UMPG is the second largest writer on this planet, these publishing takedowns had been huge reaching, impacting nearly each document label in a method or one other.
In response to the publishing takedowns, TikTok mentioned in an announcement on Wednesday, “[UMG’s] actions not solely have an effect on the songwriters and artists that they symbolize, however now additionally impression many artists and songwriters not signed to Common. We stay dedicated to reaching an equitable settlement with Common Music Group.”
Learn UMPG’s new assertion to its songwriters beneath in full:
TikTok is eradicating UMPG songs as a result of there isn’t a license in place. As you’ll have heard, to-date, they haven’t agreed to acknowledge the honest worth of your songs, which so many different digital companions world wide have carried out.
As we beforehand addressed in our open letter, along with honest compensation in your songs, the negotiations have additionally centered on two different essential and equally essential points: defending you, human artists and songwriters, from the dangerous results of AI; and on-line security for TikTok’s customers, together with your followers which embrace younger kids.
TikTok’s intentions with respect to AI are more and more obvious. Whereas refusing to answer our issues about AI depriving songwriters from honest compensation, or present assurances that they won’t practice their AI fashions in your songs, latest media experiences reveal “TikTok and ByteDance leaders have lengthy wished to maneuver the app past music.” Reflecting on our open letter, different commentators have famous the place this distancing from the music trade could lead on, fueled by AI: “TikTok has an incentive to push using these AI recordings quite than the copyrighted and licensed recordings.”
Each indication is that they merely don’t worth your music.
We perceive the disruption is troublesome for a few of you and your careers, and we’re delicate to how this will likely have an effect on you world wide. We acknowledge that this is likely to be uncomfortable in the meanwhile. However it’s essential for the sustained future worth, security and well being of the complete music ecosystem, together with all music followers.
As all the time, UMPG will solely assist companions that worth songwriters, artists and your songs. We’ve a protracted historical past of efficiently preventing for our songwriters and can proceed to take action. You must anticipate nothing much less from us.
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