🗝 Emilio García’s Post

Oh, where do I even begin with this saga? Picture this: Universal Music Group (#UMG) and #TikTok, two titans of the music and digital world, locked in a battle that could only be described as a high school breakup drama, but with more lawyers and less passive-aggressive texting. On one side, we have UMG, clutching its pearls and dramatically declaring, "It's not me, it's you," as they pull their vast catalog from TikTok's clutches over disputes on fair compensation and the audacity of #AI-generated music. UMG's beef? They're not feeling the love—or rather, the fair share of revenue—from TikTok's use of their music. They claim TikTok's offers are less appetizing than a day-old vending machine sandwich, paying artists and songwriters at rates that would make a #Spotify stream look like a winning lottery ticket. Then there's TikTok, they argue that they're a modern-day Cyrano de Bergerac, a platform of platforms, championing artists with exposure to their billion users. TikTok insists it's all about the artists, having struck deals with everyone else and accusing UMG of, dare I say, greed. The irony? Amidst this clash of the titans, it's the artists and fans who sit in the bleachers, munching on popcorn as their favorite tunes become bargaining chips. TikTok claims UMG's actions are not in the best interest of these very artists and songwriters they're purportedly fighting for, while UMG is on a crusade for what it calls "fair value" in the wild west of digital music streaming. I can't help but reflect on the absurdity and the lessons here. It's a reminder of the delicate dance between innovation and compensation, the tug-of-war between tradition and the future of music. The underlying narrative: the quest for a harmonious model where technology uplifts art without shortchanging its creators. In the end, whether you're Team TikTok or Team UMG, one thing's for sure: this telenovela is far from over.

🚨 Breaking News in Music Industry 🚨 Universal Music Group (UMG) announces the expiration of its agreement with TikTok today. As UMG explain: Negotiations failed over critical issues, including fair compensation, AI-related concerns, and online safety. If you are working for a company or a brand sharing content on TikTok, or want to step into the world of TikTok, please send me a DM or an email, and let's jump on a viral coffee to talk about your options on using music. Have in mind that 95% of all the content being shared on TikTok uses music and sound. So on a platform like TikTok, it's crucial to use this as a tool and also make sure you are legally protected. Let me share all my insights with you so you can protect your company and content. Read the full open letter and article here: 📧 caroline.steiner@epidemicsound.com https://lnkd.in/dA_rp6J9 #UMG #TikTok #MusicIndustry #ArtistRights #BreakingNews #EpidemicSound #SoundtrackYourContent #SocialMedia

🎤 UMG Pulls the Plug on TikTok! 💔🚫 Universal Music Group (UMG) has made headlines by cutting ties with TikTok over a royalties feud. UMG has accused TikTok of DJ-ing without paying the band, leading to this shocking move. 🔥 UMG's decision has sparked a debate: Is UMG acting as a defender of artists, or is it an unintended silencer of emerging talents? While UMG claims the former, some argue that this move is stifling the discovery stage for rising stars. What are your thoughts on this controversial move? Share your opinions in the comments below! #UMG #TikTok #musicindustry #royaltiesfeud #risingstars #launchpadforhits

UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP AND TIKTOK FINALLY FIND COMMON TUNE After months of negotiation, Universal Music Group (UMG) and TikTok have finally struck a deal, marking the return of UMG's artists to the popular video platform. This partnership brings fresh terms to better artist compensation and combating unauthorized content. BETTER TERMS, BETTER MUSIC Under the new agreement, TikTok will provide more data transparency, which Universal Music Group hopes to leverage in future negotiations, particularly concerning altered versions of tracks (like sped-up or slowed-down songs). The deal secures enhanced compensation for artists and songwriters, putting them more on par with peers on other social music platforms. FIGHTING THE FAKES One of the critical components of this deal is addressing the misuse of artists' work. UMG has secured commitments from TikTok for quicker removals of deep fakes and unauthorized tracks, reducing the hassle of filing individual takedown requests. How they will enforce this will be the big question in my book. TECH MEETS TUNES Looking ahead, UMG and TikTok plan to introduce new features that enhance user engagement and offer promotional boosts, like deeper analytics for artists and integrated ticketing for live events. These developments enrich the artist-fan connection and drive concert sales. As digital landscapes evolve, this partnership could set a new standard for how music giants and tech platforms collaborate, ensuring creators are fairly compensated while enhancing the music streaming experience. #MusicIndustry #TikTokDeal #ArtistRights #DigitalMusic #DigitalMusicttps

The last few months have provided TikTok users and music lovers alike with different answers to the question of "What's Going On with UMG and TikTok?" But now, after a few months of debate, UMG and TikTok have stricken a deal that provides artists and songwriters with, "new monetization opportunities.... artist-centric tools," and, remuneration.... new promotional and engagement opportunities for their recordings and songs and industry-leading protections with respect to generative AI”. This deal seems to be paving the way toward a future that will integrate TikTok's promotional value with artist development across the industry as a whole. What do you think about all of this? What are your thoughts on the deal? David Philp you would find this really interesting! #music #tiktok #musicindustry #universalmusicgroup

Finally. UMG + TikTok reached a licensing agreement after UMG let its licensing lapse Feb 1st - 3 months ago. This doesn't mean UMG's catalog is being reinstated on the platform - and it is unclear when that'll happen. Meanwhile, this still prevents UMG musicians from utilizing the most popular app in the world to promote their music. This must be beyond frustrating for the promotional and marketing teams. This PR leaves me with a few questions: * Why are they releasing a PR in the middle of the night? * Why are they releasing a PR about a new agreement yet keeping the music off the platform indefinitely? * Is the new renumeration formula similar / different to Deezer? Spotify? Details. We want details. * Who in the industry is defining "industry-leading protections with respect to generative AI? * And lastly, how exactly is TikTok going to protect the music industry in respect to generative AI? #musicindustry #tiktok #UMG #marketingtools #licensing #musicroyalties #publishingroyalties #musicians https://lnkd.in/dnDuWhzc

Struggle of the titans between the #musicindustry and social media #platforms: Universal Music Group vs TikTok. YouTube pays an estimated 20% of advertising revenue to music companies. TikTok was offering less than half of that before the collapse of talks according to this story in Financial Times. Universal's Lucien Grainge is nobody's pushover and has a third of the global recorded music market, so the outcome of this impasse will be critical to #musicians, #music publishers and others and a bellwether in the developing struggle for #advertising revenue share between tech companies and rights-holders in the #creativeindustries. #ai #musicbusiness #entertainmentindustry #copyrights #distribution #mediaproduction #artistmanagement #bigtech Creative Industries Council Department for Culture, Media and Sport Department for Business and Trade Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

The very public Universal Music Group vs ByteDance drama is just one part in the future of music's monetization. I've seen a lot of people talking about this situation like its a single transaction. It is not. Here is why: Recorded music has had a banner decade, growing significantly as streaming has matured. But now streaming growth is slowing. The major labels did licensing deals with TikTok more than three years ago, (Sony Music Entertainment was the first, in Nov 2020; Warner Music Group & Universal Music Group in Jan & Feb 2021, respectively). At the time, TikTok was a great promo & PR engine - almost similar to traditional radio, or MTV back in the day. As a result the financial arrangements looked less like a DSP/ commerce deal and more like "music as part of the service" deal. Well...things have changed over the last three years. TikTok has grown to be a critical partner. And the promo aspect has not *quite* lived up to its promise. Despite all the viral songs on the platform since late 2020, very few have have converted into bone fide career artists. So what's Universal Music Group to do? The double-digit annual streaming growth is (probably) over. TikTok is not the sustainable promo engine it was first believed. Meanwhile, other music adjacent platforms & products have more lucrative deals for the industry (it's worth noting Peloton Interactive pays more to rights holders than TikTok, according to Goldman Sachs.) If you're Lucien Grange, it's time to play hardball. That includes public negotiation tactics, withholding rights, and framing it all as "pro-artist." It's not a coincidence the *very* flattering feature in the The New Yorker on Lucien dropped the day before this announcement. Whatever it takes. If there's one thing we've learned about how he operates, it's he's going to be a very effective protector of music's value. And that he does not like to lose. #musicindustry #musicbusiness #tiktok #musicstreaming #contentlicensing

Predictably, the nuances of TikTok’s deal with Universal Music Publishing Group aren’t publicly available and will likely remain confidential. But that doesn’t mean we lack insight into the deal TikTok sought to secure with the major label. Here’s a much closer look at the standoff and its bones of contention. DMN Pro Weekly Intelligence Report to read more: https://lnkd.in/eCDQ5fc5 #musicindustry #musicbusiness #musicnews #musicindustrynews #musiclicensing #royalties #musicroyalties #musicpublishing #musicanalytics #musicreport #musiclaw #musicdata #musicresearch