tech
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Source: NurPhoto / Getty / TikTok
TikTok’s run in the US over? The social media platform is trying its best to remain on smartphones in the States, but the US Government is working really hard to end its stranglehold on social media content creators.
Spotted on The Verge, TikTok is relying on its users to contact their local congress members as a bill calling for the app’s ban gains support in Congress.
The social media platform sent out a push notification warning users about the ban, claiming the government is trying to strip their constitutional rights from them.
Per The Verge:
TikTok sent users in the US a push notification on Wednesday, warning that “Congress is planning a total ban of TikTok” that would “[strip] 170 million Americans of their Constitutional right to free expression.”
The page says that a ban would “damage millions of businesses, destroy the livelihoods of countless creators across the country, and deny artists an audience.” The alert includes a way for users to find their representative and call their office.
The notification comes shortly after the White House expressed support for a bipartisan bill directed at TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance.
The bill — called the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act — is in response to the perceived national security risks of TikTok, particularly around how the company collects user data.
The bill would require that TikTok break off from ByteDance or risk being removed from app stores in the US.
The Irony
The White House’s support for the bill is ironic due to President Biden’s presence on the platform under the handle @BidenHQ.
Congress has been trying for years to ban the app, with some states successfully banning the app from government devices, and Montana became the first state to ban it successfully.
A judge put a halt on the ban, which is the subject of numerous court challenges. If the government is successful in passing the ban, the American Civil Liberties Union is already pointing out that it will be a violation of the First Amendment.
TikTok has been having a rough year, with UMG (Universal Music Group) pulling music off the platform after both entities did not extend their licensing agreement.
It sounds like TikTok is in danger. There’s always Instagram Reels. Just saying.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Samsung’s Frame TV has become a luxurious piece of home decor, offering up entertainment and style to upgrade the regular television set (it even snagged a partnership with Disney). For those not looking to spend $1,000+ on a new TV though, TikTok has discovered the ultimate dupe that’s small-space friendly and under $300.
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Amazon‘s new Echo Show 15 is the latest in the brand’s Echo Show series, bringing a compact yet elegant way to watch TV and gather information at the touch of a button. TikTok has deemed the smart device to be the ultimate dupe, labelling it a “mini Frame TV” as it offers that framed photo aesthetic with all the benefits of a smart home device.
Trending on Billboard
@sarah.pollman They make a MINI FRAME TV?! 😍 Ok so it’s actually the @amazon Alexa Show 15 AND it’s even better than a frame tv IMO. It’s so aesthetically pleasing 🤗 choose a frame and swap out artwork (aka photos) any time you please! But also watch a movie, add to your calendar, play a game, make a grocery list, and literally anything else you can imagine. It will easily be the best thing you add to any room. We already had multiple Alexa devices, but when Amazon released this version, I immediately wanted it because 1) it’s beautiful and 2) it wouldn’t take up counter space in the kitchen. Now that I have it, I’M OBSESSED 🤩 Want to add this to your home? Here’s how! ⬇️⬇️⬇️ Tap the link in my bio Click on my Amazon Storefront or LTK Tap the image of this space Add the items to your cart & checkout! To install: @Amazon’s Alexa and @DataCommElectronics’ outlet both come with instructions AND templates that make mounting super easy. Seriously, it’s beginner level easy! You know you want it. Are you checking out yet? 😜 #fyp #homedecor #diyhome #amazonfinds #homeinspo #frametv #amazonalexa #amazonstorefront #ltkhome @Amazon Home @Amazon Influencer Program ♬ original sound – ray marco
Similar to the Frame TV, TikTok users have show multiple ways to hang the Echo Show on the wall or use the included mount to rest it on your countertop. From there, the TikToker lists all the different advantages of the device, including its low price tag of $280.
Of course, at 15.6 inches, the Echo Show won’t completely replace a big-screen TV. And its HD screen won’t be the same as a 4K TV set. Still, for a mini Frame TV alternative, this is a solid bet.
What Is the Echo Show 15?
As the latest release for Echo Show devices, the Echo Show 15 looks to act as an in-home hub for all your entertainment and daily needs. Just like with other Echo Show devices, you can download streaming platforms including Paramount+, Hulu and Peacock, check your calendar, make a grocery list and even display artwork when the device isn’t in use.
Similar to the Frame TV, you can choose from a selection of frames to border the device and give it a more elegant touch.
Echo Show 15
Amazon’s Echo Show 15 has earned a 4.5 star rating overall, with more than 12,000 verified shoppers giving the device a full five-star review. All of the reviewers rave about the device’s features and how easy it is to setup and use. Case in point: in addition to acting as a smart home hub, you can watch TV or call your friends with just one device as well as create a to-do list to keep yourself productive.
One reviewer even raved over how “it doesn’t look off in our kitchen and can be mounted to the wall like a picture frame.” A great Frame TV alternative indeed.
For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best home projectors, laptop deals and tablet stands.
If bosses at the world’s biggest technology companies were still in any way doubting the European Union’s commitment towards regulating the digital marketplace, the 1.8 billion euro ($1.95 billion) fine levied against Apple on Monday (March 4) by the European Commission for breaking competition laws over music streaming served as a powerful statement of intent.
This week, more new EU rules come into force governing how the largest online platforms operate in Europe, now that the deadline for complying with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) has passed.
Beginning today (March 7), the six tech giants designated “gatekeepers” by the European Commission — Apple, Google parent company Alphabet, Amazon, TikTok-owner ByteDance, Meta and Microsoft – are required to comply with a raft of legislative changes designed to rein in their global dominance.
Trending on Billboard
They include outlawing companies favoring in-house services at the expense of third-party providers and forcing platforms to offer other businesses, such as apps, access to the data they generate – allowing smaller services to contact their customers directly and making it easier for users to switch services.
The laws are enforceable by fines of up to 20% of total worldwide turnover (aka, gross revenue) for repeat infringers, or, in extreme cases the “last resort option” of forced divestments and the break-up of businesses.
THIS IS FINE
The changes are already having a significant impact on digital music services and, in turn, the global record business.
In January, Apple announced that it will begin allowing European users to download app stores other than the company-operated one that comes installed on iPhones. It will additionally lower the fees it charges developers for purchases made through the App Store, reducing commission from the existing 15% to 30% level to between 10% and 17% for developers using the company’s payment-processing system.
However, Apple’s plans to charge “high volume” services with over one million users a €0.50 ($0.54) “Core Technology Fee” per download, per year, for using alternatives to the App Store has been heavily criticized by a number of European businesses, including Spotify and Deezer.
“Apple’s new terms not only disregard both the spirit and letter of the law, but if left unchanged, make a mockery of the DMA,” said the streaming services in an open letter to the European Commission, sent last week and also signed by 32 other European digital companies and associations, including trade body Digital Music Europe.
The new fee structure, which only apply in the 27 EU member states, will deter app developers from opting into the revised terms “and will hamper fair competition,” say Spotify and Deezer, calling on regulators to take “swift, timely and decisive action against Apple.” (In January, Spotify stated in a company blog post that the new fees “equates for us to being the same or worse as under the old rules.”)
Similar anti-competition concerns were behind the European Commission’s decision to fine Apple 1.8 billion euros at the start of March, following longstanding complaints from Spotify over Apple’s restrictions to outside developers and the 30% fee it charges them on all purchases made through iOS apps. (Apple has said it will appeal the fine, which was issued under existing EU terms, rather the Digital Markets Act).
Defending its response to the new EU provisions, Apple estimates that less than 1% of developers will pay the Core Technology Fee and warned that the DMA brings greater risks to users and developers by compromising its ability to detect malware, fraud and illicit content in external apps.
NOT JUST APPLE
Other so-called gatekeepers – defined by policy makers as a platform with an annual turnover of more than 7.5 billion euros ($8.1 billion) and more than 45 million active monthly users in the EU region — are also making sweeping changes as a result of the DMA.
Aside from Apple, music executives will be paying most attention to how ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok responds to the law’s provisions. In November, the company launched an appeal against the EU’s classification of TikTok as a “gatekeeper” arguing that the platform is a “challenger, not an incumbent, in the digital advertising market” and that the new rules could hamper its ability to “remain competitive and grow.”
Despite the ongoing legal challenge, TikTok has already taken a number of steps to comply with the terms of the DMA, including the launch of enhanced data portability tools that allow developers to download and export data profiles, followers and posts from TikTok to other services with users’ permission. These changes are being introduced now to European users, TikTok announced in a blog post on March 4, “with plans to roll out globally in the near future.”
In January, Google and YouTube parent company Alphabet announced that it will allow users to pick their default browser and provide more links to competing sites when searching Google – although, like Apple, Alphabet’s compliance with the DMA has been questioned.
Posting on X (formerly Twitter) this month, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney criticized the tech giant for imposing a commission fee of up to 27% for any app purchases made not using Google’s payment services. (Google/Alphabet has previously been issued three major fines totaling 8.2 billion euros by the EU over antitrust issues).
Meanwhile, Meta is allowing users to separate their Facebook and Instagram accounts to prevent personal information being shared for targeted ads. Amazon is modifying its Amazon Ads service to provide stronger data protections for customers, and Microsoft is implementing changes to its Windows operating system.
The terms of the Digital Markets Act only apply to companies and services operating in the 27-member state EU block, but their impact extends far afield. Following the EU’s lead, similar regulations to rein in tech companies’ dominance are being drawn up in several other nations, including Japan, South Korea, India, Brazil, Australia and the United Kingdom.
What meaningful impact the DMA or comparable international legislation will actually have on curbing Big Tech — and the music companies that either drive or rely upon them to reach audiences — could take years to be felt, if at all, but EU regulators say they are not shying away from the challenge.
“We are looking very carefully at how companies are complying [with the DMA]” the European Commission recently said in a statement, “and once we have full enforcement powers will not hesitate to act.”
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Source: Xbox / Xbox Partner Preview
Yes, we know the Xbox community is still trying to get it all together, but this latest Xbox Partner Preview should give them hope that their Xbox Series X and Series S consoles are not just expensive paperweights.
On Wednesday, March 6, the 30-minute Xbox Partner Preview showcase was all about games. It highlighted many games coming to the Xbox Series X, Windows PC, and Game Pass this year and much later.
Xbox owners and Game Pass subscribers saw game trailers for titles such as Final Fantasy 14 Online, which is finally making its way to Xbox consoles after living exclusively on PC and PlayStation consoles.
Other announcements came from Capcom, 11 Bit Studios, which had a strong presence during the presentation, EA Originals, and many more.
A few standouts to use were The Alters from 11 Bit Studios, which finally shows us what Capcom’s Kunitsu-Gami: Path of The Goddess is all about, and the upcoming Metroidvania-style game Tales of Kenzera: Zau, which is giving us the purest of Black Panther vibes despite not even being a Marvel game.
So if you missed it, hit the gallery below for all of the announcements.
1. Unknown 9: Awakening – Announcement Trailer | Xbox Partner Preview
Are you ready to believe in the Unknown? Become Haroona, embrace your powers, and embark on a quest for the truth. Unknown 9: Awakening comes out this summer on Xbox.
2. Sleight of Hand – Announce Trailer | Xbox Partner Preview
Infiltrate the hardboiled, rain-slicked city of Taboo, where ritual magic and cursed artifacts set apart those with power from those without. Sleight of Hand is a 3rd-person Stealth-Action Deckbuilder about taking down the coven you used to run with.
3. The Alters – Gameplay Reveal Trailer | Xbox Partner Preview
See The Alters gameplay explained! Explore an emotional sci-fi game that features a unique blend of adventure, survival, and base-building elements. Play as Jan Dolski, a simple worker who creates alternative versions of himself in a desperate attempt to escape from a planet where even sun rays can prove deadly.
4. Creatures of Ava – Reveal Trailer | Xbox Partner Preview
Let your empathy guide you as you play an exciting action-adventure, creature saver game. Understand and tame the creatures of Ava and let them lead you through a variety of ecosystems – all in the hopes of saving the planet from a life-consuming infection.
5. Now on Roblox: Chucky’s on the loose! | Xbox Partner Preview
The world of horror meets gaming in GRIEFVILLE, where a new era of nightmares begins with the addition of Chucky, the iconic doll himself.
6. The Sinking City 2 – Announce Trailer | Xbox Partner Preview
We are excited to officially unveil The Sinking City 2, a Lovecraftian survival horror set in an otherworldly rendition of Arkham in the 1920s United States. Coming to Xbox Series X|S in 2025.
7. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Legends of the Zone Trilogy – Launch Trailer | Xbox Partner Preview
Play the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. trilogy on Xbox today!
8. Monster Jam Showdown – Announcement Trailer | Xbox Partner Preview
Fire up your engines and get ready to take part in the most groundbreaking game of the year! #MonsterJamShowdown is coming in 2024!
9. Persona 3 Reload: Expansion Pass | Xbox Partner Preview
She once made a choice to live.
Now, she’ll need to find the answer.
The final chapter of Persona 3 Reload, Episode Aigis – The Answer – arrives in September 2024!
Purchase the Expansion Pass on March 12th to unlock the first wave of DLC. Available with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC.
10. The First Berserker: Khazan – Gameplay Trailer | Xbox Partner Preview
The First Berserker: Khazan is a hardcore Action-RPG based on the Dungeon & Fighter franchise, an ongoing franchise of 18 years with more than 850 Million users worldwide.
Khazan, the Great General of the Pell Los Empire, who overcame death, and sets out to reveal the incidents that led to his downfall and seek vengeance on his enemies.
The First Berserker: Khazan awaits you with hardcore stylish action with a unique mashup of reality and anime-inspired graphics!
11. Tales of Kenzera: Zau – Gameplay Trailer | Xbox Partner Preview
Brave the beautiful & treacherous lands of Kenzera with the God of Death in Tales of Kenzera™: ZAU, and reclaim your father’s spirit.
12. Frostpunk 2 – Date Reveal + Preorder Trailer | Xbox Partner Preview
Frostpunk 2 is coming to PC on July 25th! Pre-order now on the Microsoft Store and get a one-week access to the Beta in April. https://www.xbox.com/games/store/p/9P…
Frostpunk 2 is a city-survival game set 30 years after an apocalyptic blizzard ravaged Earth, transforming our world into a harsh, icy wasteland. In the game you must face a new deadly threat that appears on the horizon – human nature and its unsatiated thirst for power.
13. FINAL FANTASY XIV Online – A Life-changing Story Awaits | Xbox Partner Preview
A life-changing story awaits in FINAL FANTASY XIV Online!
Play the Open Beta now and get ready for the full release on March 21, 2024.
The Starter Edition will be available through Game Pass Ultimate Perks! Claim between March 21 and April 19, 2024.
14. Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess – Gameplay Trailer “Kagura” | Xbox Partner Preview
A new tale of the Kami awaits…
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess will be released in 2024 on Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: NurPhoto / Getty / Elon Musk
Phony Stark, aka Elon Musk’s pockets, might be a little lighter if fired Twitter executives get their way.
As seen on The Verge, when Tesla chief and owner of X, Elon Musk, reluctantly took over Twitter, he gave a lot of people the boot, including top execs at the social media company.
Now, those same Twitter execs are coming for their coins they feel Musk owes them, the website reports via The Wall Street Journal’s reporting.
Former CEO Parag Agrawal, former CFO Ned Segal, former chief legal officer Vijaya Gadde, and former general counsel Sean Edgett slapped Musk with a lawsuit asking for more than $128 million in severance payments.
Per The Verge:
The same execs who forced Musk to close his $44 billion acquisition in the first place, who are now claiming his goal was to “cheat” them out of $200 million before their stock options vested the next morning. They also have a remarkably thorough source to explain why he closed the deal and fired them when he did: Elon Musk himself, as quoted by Walter Isaacson in the biography released last year, Elon Musk.
Another passage cited from the book calls out a conversation between Musk and his lawyer, Alex Spiro. “[H]e tried to resign … but we beat him,” they said, specifically referring to Agrawal. By firing Agrawal before he was able to send a resignation letter, they apparently believed it would mean the company wouldn’t have to pay his severance package.
The lawsuit also claims that X’s board says the company needed to pay $90 million to the lawyers who successfully made Elon Musk go through with Twitter’s $44 billion acquisition.
Call us haters, but we hope those former Twitter execs win this lawsuit.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Serato / Serato
Serato and Roland have teamed up for a special edition vinyl that marled the celebration of “303” Day” on March 3. The vinyl was created in collab with DJs J. Rocc, Fast Eddie, Shadow Child and DJ Haus, while the Serato + Roland TB-303 Bass Line / TR-606 Drumatix Control Vinyl will serve as a “time capsule and toolkit” to pay homage to Roland’s classic 303 and 606 synthesizers.
Roland’s TB-303 Bass Line Synthesizer and TR-606 Drumatix were released in 1981 and credited with revolutionizing the music industry. The machines became to electronic music and by the end of the decade and into the early 90’s the tech became TK in. production kits.
Per Serato:
The first record pays tribute to the distinctive bass lines of the 303, reinterpreted by hip house pioneer Fast Eddie and influential dance music DJ and producer Shadow Child. The second record simulates the pulsating drum beats of the 606 reinvented by seminal producer DJ Haus and J. Rocc, one of the original turntablists.
“When I first heard the 606, it was a revelation – it’s right up there with the best,” said said J. Rocc in a press statement.
Adds Fast Eddie said, “If it wasn’t for the 303, I wouldn’t even be here right now talking to you. That’s my history.”
The hope is that the limited edition vinyl serves as inspiration for future producers as they make their beats, with Roland’s iconic equipment. Find more information about the project right here.
Source: Serato / Serato
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Source: Xbox / Spongebob Xbox Series X
Xbox is back with another collaboration, and you don’t have to enter a contest to get your hands on this special edition of the Xbox Series X.
Contrary to what many Xbox fans thought, the Microsoft-owned company is still pumping out consoles. Following the release of the first-ever Dune: Part Two-inspired floating controller paired with the Xbox Series S console, Xbox is teaming up with Nickelodeon for a collaboration that should have happened long ago.
Partnering with Best Buy Drops via the Best Buy mobile app, Xbox, Paramount Game Studios, and GameMill are coming together for the Xbox Series X – Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Special Edition Bundle, and yes you can buy it.
The bundle includes a custom-designed Xbox Series X console inspired by the cartoon icon SpongeBob SquarePants, rocking his signature smile and ecstatic arms while rocking his Krusty Krab uniform.
The controller that comes in the bundle features a montage of all of your favorite Spongebob characters, including Patrick Star, Mr. Krabs, Spongebob’s loyal pet Gary, Squidward, and the diabolical Plankton.
Oh, and there will also be a digital download of Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 in the box.
Unfortunately, the bundle will be limited, but you don’t have to enter a contest to get your hands on it. It will cost $699 and will be available at 8 am PST on Thursday, March 7, 2024.
Still, this is a good sign that Xbox is hearing our cries and is finally selling these limited consoles.
So, if you’re going to make a valiant attempt at getting your hands on the Spongebob Xbox Series X, we wish you luck.
Hit the gallery below for more photos.
1. Xbox Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Special Edition Xbox Series X Bundle
Source:Xbox Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Special Edition Xbox Series X Bundle
Xbox Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Special Edition Xbox Series X Bundle xbox,spongebob squarepants,xbox series x,nickelodeon all-star brawl 2
2. Xbox Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Special Edition Xbox Series X Bundle
Source:Xbox Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Special Edition Xbox Series X Bundle
Xbox Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Special Edition Xbox Series X Bundle xbox,spongebob squarepants,xbox series x,nickelodeon all-star brawl 2
3. Xbox Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Special Edition Xbox Series X Bundle
Source:Xbox Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Special Edition Xbox Series X Bundle
Xbox Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Special Edition Xbox Series X Bundle xbox,spongebob squarepants,xbox series x,nickelodeon all-star brawl 2
4. Xbox Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Special Edition Xbox Series X Bundle
Source:Xbox Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Special Edition Xbox Series X Bundle
Xbox Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Special Edition Xbox Series X Bundle xbox,spongebob squarepants,xbox series x,nickelodeon all-star brawl 2
For as long as there’s been a “music business,” creators have been fighting for their fair share, and modern history is replete with examples of corporations trying to shortchange music makers.
Case-in-point: AM/FM radio, where U.S. broadcasters have been getting away with paying artists $0 from their $15 billion-a-year revenue – despite the fact that music is their main input. Their argument? Because radio is supplying “free promotion” for the musicians, they don’t deserve a cut of the profits. Big broadcasters have been pushing this excuse since the 1930s.
Fast forward almost a century, and we’re now seeing this play out with new technology – most recently with the dispute betweenTikTok and Universal Music Group (UMG). Using the same argument as radio broadcasters, TikTok claims its platform provides “free promotion” to artists, and it’s therefore trying to undercut what they pay for the use of their music. But UMG refused to fall for this ploy and has now pulled all of its content from the platform until TikTok agrees to an appropriate licensing fee. As a result, about one-third of the most popular recordings on TikTok, including music from Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and Billie Eilish, are now unavailable on the platform. (And this trend may grow if the dispute expands to the publishing side of the business, with indie publishers’ TikTok license due to expire in April.)
Trending on Billboard
UMG is doing the right thing by standing up for its artists. The label is making the case that creators should be paid fairly for the use of their tracks, in line with other platforms. (It also seeks to protect artists from the harmful effects of unregulated AI and encourages online safety protocols for users, two things all of us should support.) UMG recognizes that the lure of potentially viral promotion is in no way a substitute for fair compensation to hard-working creators.
Long before social media, companies using others’ musical property have sought to avoid paying fairly for that privilege because of this outdated argument around “promotion.” They tried it in the case of piano rolls, silent movie theaters, retail stores, music venues and even peer-to-peer file sharing platforms like Napster and Grokster. In each of those instances, companies tried to underpay (or not pay at all) for the music on the bogus theory that creators should “just accept the promotion, be thankful for whatever they get, and be on their merry way” – regardless of the immense profits they were making from the use of that music.
Thankfully, in the above cases, players in the music industry stood firm and refused to be blinded by the siren song of promotion. But that clearly hasn’t stopped others from trying the same trick.
TikTok is abusing its reputation as the place where new music is discovered. It’s true that many of today’s popular artists (like Lil Nas X, Doja Cat and Lizzo) first found fame on the platform. It’s also where catalog music is finding new life. There is no disputing the important role TikTok plays in the current music ecosystem. But that is an altogether different question than whether or not TikTok should compensate artists fairly.
Instead of using its power to pay artists less, TikTok should take the opposite approach. It should seek to be the digital home for musicians, the place not just where they can be heard, but where they want to be heard and where their value is recognized. This holds true for superstars, middle-class musicians and up-and-comers praying for their first breakout hit. And it starts with paying all of them fairly in recognition of the critical role they provide to the business, whether they’re receiving “promotion” or not.
Going forward, it’s important that key players, like UMG, take a stand against inequity on every platform that seeks to take advantage of creators.*
*SoundExchange is not involved in collecting sound recording royalties from TikTok.
Michael Huppe is president and CEO of SoundExchange.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. We all have our music listening preferences whether it’s through over-ear headphones or Bluetooth earbuds. Regardless of the type of headphones, […]
Beyoncé‘s “Cuff It” vanished from TikTok on Tuesday (Feb. 27), the latest casualty of the platform’s stand-off with Universal Music Group (UMG).
“Cuff It” is not alone. Harry Styles‘ recordings are no longer available, SZA‘s recordings are gone, except for her new single “Saturn,” and most of Bad Bunny’s music is missing as well — even though none of these artists are signed to UMG labels.
When negotiations between UMG and TikTok fell apart at the end of January, official recordings made by UMG artists like Taylor Swift and Drake swiftly disappeared from the platform. After a grace period, songs that were penned in part by UMPG’s songwriters are now suffering the same fate.
“Cuff It” is one of many Beyoncé songs that features a contribution from a songwriter signed to Universal Music Publishing Group — in this case, Raphael Saadiq. UMPG’s roster also includes artists Styles, Rosalía, SZA, Bad Bunny and Steve Lacy for their songwriting credits. In the U.S., UMPG touches 20% to 30% of the music on TikTok, according to a rep for the platform. The rep declined to comment further.
Trending on Billboard
UMPG also declined to comment for this story. In a letter to songwriters earlier this month, the publisher said, “TikTok insists on paying our songwriters at a fraction of the rate that similarly situated major social media platforms pay — and without any material increase from our prior agreement… This is unacceptable.”
Tension between the music industry and TikTok has been growing for years. Many executives still believe it is the most effective platform for marketing music, even if it is maddeningly hard to influence.
At the same time, many around the music industry argue that TikTok does not pay enough to use the music that helped it become such a wildly popular app. (The music-tech company Pex found that 85% of TikTok videos incorporate music.) Late in 2022, UMG CEO Lucian Grainge noted that a value gap was “forming fast in the new iterations of short-form video.”
In a statement to Billboard at that time, TikTok global head of music Ole Obermann emphasized that the platform was not a music streaming service: “Our community comes to TikTok to watch videos, not to listen to full-length tracks.” He added, “We’re proud of the partnerships we are building with the industry and artists, and we are confident that we are enhancing musical engagement. That translates directly to more financial and creative opportunities for music creators.”
The simmering tension boiled over in late January. In an open letter, UMG announced that its negotiations with TikTok had fallen apart. “TikTok proposed paying our artists and songwriters at a rate that is a fraction of the rate that similarly situated major social platforms pay,” UMG wrote. The record company accused TikTok of trying to “intimidate us into conceding to a bad deal that undervalues music and shortchanges artists and songwriters as well as their fans.”
TikTok responded by saying that UMG was pushing a “false narrative.” It’s “sad and disappointing, that [UMG] has put their own greed above the interests of their artists and songwriters,” TikTok continued.