TikTok Accuses UMG of Spreading False Narratives, Claims They Walked Away From Negotiations to Keep Taylor Swift & More Music on the App

By now, you might have heard that music from artists including Taylor Swift, Drake, Bad Bunny, SZA, Rihanna, Adele, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, and Harry Styles might be pulled from TikTok.

Universal Music Group’s contract with TikTok expires today (January 31) and the music company threatened to pull all of its music from the service if a better deal isn’t reached.

The label is accusing the video sharing app of trying to “bully us into accepting a deal…at a rate that is a fraction of the rate that similarly situated major social platforms pay.”

Now, TikTok is responding.

Keep reading to find out more…

While UMG claims that TikTok is attempting to bully them into accepting a deal, TikTok is accusing the label of spreading a “false narrative” and putting greed above the interests of their singers.

In a statement to USA Today, a TikTok rep said, “It is sad and disappointing that Universal Music Group has put their own greed above the interests of their 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 a billion users that serves as a free promotional and discovery vehicle for their talent.”

The statement continued, “TikTok has been able to reach ‘artist-first’ agreements with every other label and publisher. Clearly, Universal’s self-serving actions are not in the best interests of artists, songwriters and fans.”