Millions of TikTok videos were left without sound this Wednesday after the Universal Music Group decided not to renew the agreement with the social network for the use of its music. Universal is the largest music company in the world and owns the rights to the recordings of artists such as Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Drake, U2 or Bad Bunny, as well as catalogs such as those of Bob Dylan or The Beatles. The music blackout even affects the artists' official videos on the platform. With this decision, Universal unleashes what may be the battle with the highest public profile fought so far between creators and internet platforms, since it immediately impacts the more than one billion users of TikTok, as well as the big stars of an industry that is still trying to adapt its business to the era of streaming and that precisely tomorrow he meets at the Grammy Awards.
Music is a differentiating and essential element for TikTok compared to other social networks. The app has grown mostly with videos of users dancing or doing playback about well-known songs. Music is their brand, like professional journalism is for X (Twitter) or photos for Instagram. Production subject to copyright is reproduced thanks to agreements with companies. The contract with Universal expired on Wednesday due to disagreements over compensation for artists, the lack of control over music generated with artificial intelligence – which uses original voices and melodies to create others – and the lack of commitment against harmful content, according to the record company. TikTok “wants to create a music-based business without paying what the music is worth,” the statement said. TikTok responded that Universal puts “its greed above the interest of artists,” depriving them of their huge user base. Universal assures that TikTok accounts for only 1% of its income.
The debate is not, however, in the volume but in the law. No internet platform can accumulate users and advertising without original content, and after years of abuse it is redefining how that content is managed, who charges for it and how much. The battle has become even more urgent with the emergence of artificial intelligence, capable of mechanically generating new content from images, texts or music already published. It is the balance of power between creators and algorithms that is at stake, a conflict in which the demand for The New York Times against ChatGPT, that of Spanish press editors against Meta or that of actors and scriptwriters against Hollywood studios. Due to its size and impact, Universal's move to TikTok is an important precedent that should help tip the balance in favor of professional creators.
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