Universal Music Group and TikTok renew agreement to combat unauthorized AI music

Universal Music Group (UMG) and TikTok recently announced the renewal of their licensing agreement, which includes a commitment to get rid of unauthorized AI-generated music from the platform improve how artists and songwriters are credited. In their joint announcement, UMG stated the agreement “extends TikTok and UMG’s groundbreaking commitment to AI protections that promote human artistry and ensure platform economics effectively flow through to artists and songwriters. TikTok and UMG will work together to remove unauthorized AI-generated music from the platform, while further improving artist and songwriter attribution.” This new agreement represents a notable shift in the relationship between UMG and TikTok. For years, UMG has pushed platforms, streaming services, and AI companies to implement stricter content moderation policies. Tensions between UMG and TikTok escalated in 2024 when UMG accused TikTok of inadequately addressing issues related to AI-generated music and copyright. This public dispute led to UMG temporarily pulling its music catalog from TikTok — a decision that underscored the app’s growing reliance on major label licenses as popular tracks vanished from user videos overnight. The timing of TikTok’s commitment to crack down on fake or unlicensed music is significant especially as the music industry wrestles with an influx of AI-generated content. …