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Source: The Washington Post / Getty / Donald Trump
The nightmare of another Donald Trump presidency is once again a reality following his election win, and everyone, including these tech CEOs, is lining up to kiss the ring of the orange menace expeditiously to ensure they are on his good side.

Donald Trump has not yet taken power, but the ominous cloud of what his 4-year reign will bring looms large over the heads of Americans and corporate Americans as he enacts disastrous policies.
Tech CEOs who weren’t outside with Trump jumping up and down on his rally stages, looking as silly as Elon Musk did for the most part, sat back and kept quiet, awaiting the results of the 2024 presidential election.
Kiss The Ring
Now that the dust has settled and Trump is returning to the White House, the congratulatory messages from the tech giants quickly started rolling in.
“Congratulations President Trump, we’re looking forward to engaging with you and your administration to drive innovation forward that creates new growth and opportunity for the United States and the world,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nedella wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Apple CEO, Tim Cook, who Trump hilariously called Tim Apple wrote on X, “Congratulations President Trump on your victory! We look forward to engaging with you and your administration to help make sure the United States continues to lead with and be fueled by ingenuity, innovation, and creativity.”
One time rival of Trump, Jeff Bezos, who told his paper, The Washington Post to not endorse Kamala Harris, definitely seemed very happy in his congratulatory tweet. “Big congratulations to our 45th and now 47th President on an extraordinary political comeback and decisive victory. No nation has bigger opportunities. Wishing @realDonaldTrump all success in leading and uniting the America we all love,” Bezos wrote. 
Former Microsoft CEO, Bill Gates wrote on Threads, “Congratulations to President Trump and VP-elect Vance. America is at its strongest when we use ingenuity and innovation to improve lives here in the U.S. and around the world. I hope we can work together now to build a brighter future for everyone.”
Meta owner Mark Zuckerberg wrote on his app, “Congratulations to President Trump on a decisive victory. We have great opportunities ahead of us as a country. Looking forward to working with you and your administration.”
Well, given Trump is once again one of the most powerful people in the world, these CEOs want to ensure they get a decent piece of the deregulated pie.
It’s already being reported that Trump’s win added a record $64 billion to the wealth of the 10 richest people in the world, Bezos and Musk are on that list.

So, of course, they have a lot to be thankful about regarding Donald Trump. Don’t bet on any of that wealth trickling down to “forgotten working class.”
You can see more congratulatory tweets in the gallery below.

1. Amazon CEO Andy Jass

2. Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai

3. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman

4. Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger

5. Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon

The rise of DIY music distribution platforms like TuneCore and DistroKid has been unequivocally transformative for artists — it has given them the ability to reach listeners without traditional label constraints.
Yet, while democratization has opened doors for countless artists, it’s also opened the floodgates to an equally pernicious, unintended byproduct — rampant fraud and copyright infringement. For context, Luminate reported that in 2023, over 120,000 new songs were uploaded daily, a sharp increase from 93,000 per day in 2022. The surge is predominantly due to two things: the ubiquity and growth of the DIY distribution sector and the proliferation of consumer-facing music production resources. This relatively nascent landscape has dramatically increased not only the volume of content but also the industry’s exposure to unauthorized and infringing material.

Universal Music Group’s recent $500 million lawsuit against TuneCore and its parent company Believe highlights the severity — as well as a tipping point. The lawsuit asserts that these platforms are illegally profiting from large-scale copyright infringement, where the culprit for disseminating and monetizing the unauthorized IP is both distributor and unethical user alike. Ultimately, this case highlights a broader, systemic failure, exacerbated by insufficient monitoring, accountability and safeguards for control. But the ecosystem has become too big, too unregulated and too profitable for some of its stakeholders to rectify it on their own. Reform is overdue.

Trending on Billboard

Democratized Distribution

DIY distribution was originally designed to level the playing field, allowing any artist to release music on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube. However, open access came with side-effects — most notably, rampant IP abuse. The sector has become a breeding ground for exploitation; malicious users take advantage of the low barrier to entry by uploading pirated, remixed, or slightly modified versions of copyrighted songs. Collectively, these uploads generate significant revenue, with a portion of that going to the distributors who host them.

This is far from an isolated issue. With millions of tracks uploaded annually, there is an immense challenge in verifying every song. While some platforms claim to have anti-fraud systems in place, policing measures frequently fall short. The sheer volume of uploads makes scalable monitoring difficult, in turn creating a laissez-faire approach that indirectly allows infringement to thrive. 

YouTube Royalty Collections Unique Challenge

Nowhere is this problem more pervasive than YouTube, where scale and visibility is inherently even more challenging. Some users deliberately circumvent YouTube copyright policies by uploading and distributing pitched remixes, slowed down/sped up remixes or near-identical versions specifically in order to bypass Content ID. Detection is challenging, and most of this infringement goes unnoticed. Even when violations are flagged, recouping misappropriated payments is impossible. Artists are left to navigate an opaque, complicated system and often leave their rights exposed and earnings minimized. For many independent artists, YouTube is a key, significant revenue stream and copyright fraud siphons away that income with little recourse. 

Industry-Wide Consequences

Overvaluing volume vs. quality control creates a system ripe for exploitation because the current model often benefits the infringer. But solving the core issue mandates more than increasing lawsuits. There needs to be enforceable quality-control metrics that are clearly communicated and that actively deter fraud, while protecting rights holders. Transparent protocols to ensure flagged content will not generate income for infringers along with improved early detection systems will help standardize accountability and visibility. An enforceable and sustainable safeguard system will:

A. Prevent infringing content from reaching listeners at allB. Mandate greater transparency when infringement occurs, andC. Ensure rightful compensation for rights holders.

Closing the knowledge gap and developing industry-wide standards are also essential for meaningful change. By raising public awareness, providing a forum where artists and rights holders can report infringement and increasing pressure within the industry, the path to reform is achievable — and similar to regulations that have been implemented to curb other forms of online piracy.

A Call for Collective Responsibility

Setting clear deadlines for reform will hold platforms and distributors accountable while improving transparency. Fundamentally, and despite the challenges of volume, even en-masse DIY distributors must showcase a basic respect for IP and prioritize rights holders/artists while identifying (and deterring) the bad actors who undermine them. 

With collective, industry-wide efforts, digital music distribution can become a sustainable model that supports independent artists while upholding their rights. A system that empowers artists while maintaining integrity is essential to preserving the value of music and protecting it from exploitation.

George Karalexis is co-founder/CEO of Ten2 Media. His expertise as a media executive, strategic advisor, and serial entrepreneur spans 15-plus years across multi-sector leadership, with a focus on music, marketing strategy and tactical team building. Donna Budica is co-founder/COO of Ten2 Media. With a degree in finance from The Wharton School and an MBA from USC Marshall, she leads corporate strategy and operations at Ten2 and its subsidiaries.

Ten2 Media is a rights management and content marketing company specializing in asset monetization, audience development and content optimization on YouTube. Ten2’s expertise on YouTube and decades of experience in the music Industry is the foundation of its unique approach to maximizing revenue and marketing music for the world’s leading artists and labels.

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Source: PlayStation / PS5 Pro
The PS5 Pro has finally arrived, so the question on your mind is, should I swipe the card and get one? Before you make that decision, see what some folks who had the opportunity to give it a spin had to say before you hit the purchase button.

The base PS5 model still has plenty of life, but that’s not stopping Sony from launching a mid-generation console refresh with the PS5 Pro.
When word of the console first hit, the immediate question was, do we need this $700 machine? Who is this for? We all know it’s definitely for a niche group of gamers who prioritize performance and graphics and want the best of both worlds without building an expensive gaming rig.
Based on the specs, the PS5 Pro is an impressive piece of hardware. Under the hood is an AMD Ryzen Zen 2 8-core/16-thread processor with an RDNA-based graphics engine, producing 16.7TF of GPU compute performance compared to the base PS5’s 10.23TF.
There is also 16GB of GDDR6 memory and 2GB of slower DDR5 memory that handles other console tasks not related to gaming, plus a 2TB custom SSD.

Ahead of the console launch, PlayStation confirmed there will be 55 games with PS5 Pro Enhancements, so it’s not entering the chat without titles to show off its power.

So, with all that said, what are the critics saying about the PS5 Pro? Reviews, for the most part, seem mixed, with many saying it’s too early to tell if this console is a flop.
2025 Will Be The Real Test For The PS5 Pro
In his review for Polygon, Cameron Faulkner touched on his experience with the PS5 Pro’s enhanced titles, writing, “I didn’t try each of the 50 games that have gotten a PS5 Pro patch. But what I did try delivered a mixed bag of improvements that I’m not sure I’d be totally happy with if I spent $699.99 on launch day.”

He continued, “That said, there will be many games in 2025 that put the PS5 Pro’s more powerful specs to the test.”
It’s Impressive, But The Price Point Is Eyewatering
IGN gave the PS5 Pro a 7 (Good), and in his review, Michael Higham wrote, “The PlayStation 5 Pro is an impressive console with noticeable boosts in performance and graphics for games that take advantage of its powerful hardware. But for $700, you’ll need to think twice about whether or not the upgrade is worth the price tag.”
Powerful, But Not Essential
Rory Mellon for Tom’s Guide wrote, “The PS5 Pro is set to be where I play the vast majority of new releases for the rest of this console generation thanks to its unrivaled play experience. If you’re also the type of player who wants the best visuals and performance regardless of the cost, then I’d have no qualms about recommending the PS5 Pro. But more budget-conscious console players shouldn’t feel despondent about being stuck with a technically inferior machine. The PS5 Pro is a powerful upgrade to an already excellent console, but it’s not an essential buy at this price.”
The PS5 Pro Is A Niche Product For Now
Tim Gettys from Kinda Funny said about his experience with the PS5 Pro, “The PS5 Pro is the perfect example of a console that fits right at home with an LG OLED, and a home theater receiver, and all of the things on the box. If you care about those things this is for you. $700 is a lot, but it’s not a lot compared to other things in that realm.”
Gettys continued, “I think it’s a niche product for now, but I think it will become a mainstream product very soon.”

So, the consensus is that if you have a base PS5, you are good and don’t need to rush to get a PS5 Pro. While it is a significant boost in performance, waiting until games fully take advantage of the new hardware is a safe bet.

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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. Listening to your new playlist of the month doesn’t just have to be through your Bluetooth earbuds. A pair of over-ear […]

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Source: Epic Games / Fortnite / Air Jordan 1 “Black Toe Reimagined”
The Air Jordan 1 “Black Toe Reimagined” is one of the more popular silhouettes of Michael Jordan’s first signature sneaker is coming back to Fortnite.
As part of the Fortnite Chapter 2 Remix, Epic Games is introducing Fortnite Kicks, allowing players to lace the characters they choose to play with the freshest footwear.

KICKS, a new cosmetic feature, will offer players a virtual footwear collection and kick things off with the Air Jordan 1 “Black Toe Reimagined” and a pair of shark slippers.
Source: Epic Games / Fortnite
Fortnite also says players can expect kicks from other brands, not just Nike and Jordan, and the virtual footwear is compatible with over 500 of the most popular Fortnite drip and over 95% of the in-game outfits by the spring.
Beginning November 12, players can unlock a pair of the “Black Toe Reimagined” through the game’s Remix Pass.
In the real world, the “Black Toes”  were released in 1985 and became instant hits when they were retroed. They were supposed to return on October 18, 2024, but the release was delayed until February 1, 2025, according to Sneaker News.
The Remix Pass is the new way to unlock collectibles and more via Fortnite Chapter 2 Remix. We reported yesterday that the game is rewinding the clock and bringing back fan favorites from Chapter 2. It will feature Snoop Dogg, Ice Spice, Eminem, and Juice WRLD as playable skins.

Chapter 2 Remix is live in Fortnite and will run until November 30. Epic also teases that things will close with a “finale.”
Hit the gallery below for more photos.

1. Fortnite Chapter 2 Remix

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In the future, every technology company will have a celebrity advisor.
The latest is Timbaland, who is working with the generative AI company Suno on “day-to-day product development and strategic creative direction,” according to a late-October announcement. Timbaland is a hip-hop and R&B icon — a star songwriter, an innovative producer and a compelling performer. (His performance at the June Songwriters Hall of Fame gala was stunning.) As much of a genius as Timbaland is, however, it seems reasonable to wonder where he’s going to find the time for software development.

It also seems reasonable to wonder whether Suno hired him for more than his vision. As Suno faces controversy and litigation from rightsholders arguing that AI companies need to license the music they use to train their software, Timbaland may be there to make a case that this doesn’t matter that much. (Neither Suno nor a representative for Timbaland would comment on the nature of Timbaland’s deal.) In other words, Timbaland is there to do for Suno what Limp Bizkit and Chuck D tried to do for Napster — position the company with users but against the majority of creators and rightsholders.

It seems like ancient history now, but within a month after Metallica sued Napster in April 2000, Limp Bizkit and Chuck D stood with the company against the band, Dr. Dre (who sued a few weeks later) and most of the music business. Limp Bizkit played a few weeks of Napster-sponsored free shows, and Bizkit frontman Fred Durst said the company offered fans a great way to sample albums before buying them. Around the same time, Chuck D wrote a New York Times op-ed supporting Napster and announced that he was working with the company on a contest. The company’s subsequent bankruptcy filing contained a reference to a payment to Chuck D for “the cost of speaking engagements and support,” according to Joseph Menn’s excellent All the Rave: The Rise and Fall of Shawn Fanning’s Napster.

Trending on Billboard

Then, and perhaps now, the idea was to position a startup backed by venture capitalists as being on the side of artists. Suno is “the best tool of the future,” Timbaland has said. “It allows you to get any idea in your imagination out of your head.” Suno has already positioned itself as a disruptor, arguing in its response to the major label lawsuit that “What the major record labels really don’t want is competition.” Maybe. But the lawsuit is over Suno’s alleged ingestion of copyrighted recordings in order to train its software.

This kind of maneuvering isn’t so unusual. For decades, Silicon Valley has introduced innovations with a predictable strategy: Ask forgiveness instead of permission, then take political issues directly to users. This strategy, as much as the technology involved, allowed Uber and Airbnb to grow so big that it can be hard to remember that they are basically high-tech ways to get around local taxi and hotel regulations. Uber and Airbnb are essentially in the business of regulatory arbitrage — they face less regulation than their legacy-company competitors, so they often come out ahead. And they were able to stay in business at least partly because they very quickly grew too big to fail. No politician wants to be known for making it harder to book a car or a hotel.

Suno and other generative AI platforms are less problematic, because they would compete more fairly with other tools to make music. The only question is whether the company should compensate rightsholders — including, presumably, Timbaland himself. The lawsuit against Suno will get complicated — one of these AI cases could end up going to the Supreme Court. But creators who want to be compensated for the use of their work aren’t against AI music tools any more than Metallica was against digital distribution — they want to get paid for the use of their work.

At least one creator will almost certainly make a lot of money from Suno: Timbaland. And although it might look bad for him to be on the other side of the issue from most musicians, this has been a reliable way to make money. One of the big winners of the Early Digital Music Age — the 1999 introduction of Napster to the 2011 U.S. launch of Spotify — was Alanis Morissette.

Yes, really.

When MP3.com sponsored one of her tours, in 1999, Morissette invested $217,355 into early-stage shares of the company, which — well, it was never entirely clear how it would actually make money, but that address was really hot at the time. She made more than a million dollars selling only some of the stock.

At the same time, it’s worth remembering how these moves look years later. From a 2024 perspective, it seems smart that Metallica and Dr. Dre sued Napster, because that company’s demise paved the way for licensed, commercial streaming services. Cracker frontman David Lowery and Taylor Swift can also say they were on the right side of history when it comes to creators’ rights. In retrospect, Limp Bizkit and Chuck D seem a bit naive. Years from now, Timbaland, as talented as he is, may seem the same.

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Source: NurPhoto / Getty / X
If you thought Elon Musk couldn’t make X, formerly Twitter, any worse than it is, think again. A new take on the block feature has rolled out, and yes, it’s dumb.

Elon Musk first announced the change to the block feature back in September, and now it’s here. The Verge reports that X started launching the controversial change to how blocking trolls work over the weekend.
According to Techcrunch, the change will allow people who were once blocked on X to see your posts, followers, and who you are following.
According to Donald Trump’s newest glazer, Elon Musk, blocking people from seeing your public posts “makes no sense,” and now that all changes under Musk’s leadership will possibly allow people to harass you on the platform continually.
In October, the engineering account for X claimed in its argument for the change that users who blocked individuals could say hurtful or harmful things about the user they blocked without them knowing, and the change allows for “greater transparency.”
Rigggghhhttt.
Still, despite seeing what users can post, blocked users still can’t reply, like, follow, or send direct messages to the user who blocked them.
Some are pointing out how problematic this change to the block feature is and how it may not align with both Google and Apple’s app store policies.
Per The Verge:

But as Tracy Chou, who launched the anti-harassment tool Block Party, said in a post on X, “…the point is that friction matters!! making it easy for a creeper to creep is not a good thing!!”

Another issue is whether the updated block function aligns with the rules in app stores. Apple’s guidelines say that apps with user-generated content must have “The ability to block abusive users from the service.”

Users on X have been slamming Musk and the change to the block feature on his own platform. You can see those reactions in the gallery below.

1. Exactly

2. We can only hope

4. Excellent question

5. Howling

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Source: Epic Games / Fortnite / Eminem / Snoop Dogg / Ice Spice
Fortnite is rewinding the clock again and incorporating music into the process. Epic Games is kicking off a new period in its popular battle royale mode called Chapter 2 Remix, and some major star power will be involved.

To help launch Chapter 2 Remix, Hip-Hop icon Snoop Dogg and Ice Spice performed virtually and in person during an event in Times Square, New York. They will also be major players in the remix of Chapter 2.

The new season calls back to Chapter 2, bringing back gameplay elements, characters, and locations from Fortnite’s second chapter, which first launched in 2019.
Epic says Chapter 2 Remix will last a month and change things weekly, so it will never grow stale during the season. It will feature themed elements around the music artists involved.
Snoop Dogg will get things cracking first, with Eminem following, Ice Spice, and closing things out will be the late Juice WRLD.
Chapter 2 Remix is live in Fortnite and will run until November 30. Epic also teases that things will close with a “finale.” Of course, it wouldn’t be a new season of Fortnite without new cosmetics to outfit your character.
Here is a breakdown per Epic Games:
In addition to Kicks, the Remix Pass comes to Fortnite packed with over 70 new in-game rewards! A shorter Battle Pass than usual, you can unlock all the Pass’ rewards in just four weeks. Grab the Remix Pass for 950 V-Bucks (or included as part of your Fortnite Crew subscription) and earn up to 1,000 V-Bucks by progressing it!
Level up the Remix Pass by earning XP across Fortnite Battle Royale, creator-made islands, LEGO® Fortnite, Rocket Racing, and Fortnite Festival. Here are the nostalgically new Outfits in the Pass: 

Chaos Director (unlocked right away!): Chaos reigns.
1-Ball: Sink all the right shots.
Undercover Skye: She’s got the Guff stuff.
Meowdas: One classy cat.
Dynamo TNTina: Strike a match and light the fuse.

So what are you waiting for? Boot up Fortnite, and drop it like it’s hot in Chapter 2 Remix. To learn more about it, head here. 

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Source: Rockstar Games / GTA 6 / Grand Theft Auto 6
Outside of the first trailer, the game’s locale, and the plot, there isn’t much information about Grand Theft Auto 6. Still, one former Rockstar Games developer dropped some teases that should hopefully keep fans excited about the next game in the iconic video game franchise.

Spotted on Comicbook.com via the GTA VI O’clock podcast, developer Ben Hinchliffe — who left Rockstar Games in 2021, but not before he did some work on the highly anticipated video game will continue a streak of greatness and push the envelope like previous Rockstar Games like Red Dead Redemption II and GTA V when they first launched.

Red Dead Redemption II was a technical masterpiece, leaping graphically and technically from the first game. It proved Rockstar Studios is second to none when making sandbox games.
Roughly 6-years later, Red Dead Redemption II is still at the pinnacle of greatness in its genre, and based on what Hinchliffe said during the interview, only GTA 6 would be the game to blow it away.
Per Comicbook.com:
“You only have to look at how every game Rockstar has done has evolved in some way,” said Hinchcliffe while speaking to GTA VI O’clock. “And you could argue that manta before… that every element of the game moves forward in terms of feeling more realistic and people acting and behaving more realistic as every game is iterated through each cycle.”
Hinchliffe continued: “It will blow people away. It will sell an absolute ton as it always does, right? People will be taking about it for ages just like with GTA 5. And I’m really excited for people to get their hands on it and get in and play it, just because I think they [Rockstar] has raised the bar again just like they always do.”

Well damn.
There is word on the video game streets that a second trailer is on the horizon as the game slowly and secretly approaches its 2025 release date.
We will keep our eyes and ears open for more GTA 6 news.

On Sept. 27, indie labels and distributors around the world received a letter from Merlin, the coalition that negotiates their licenses with TikTok and other digital services. “With no warning, TikTok walked away before negotiations even began… they do not want to renew our deal, which expires on October 31st,” Merlin’s letter said.
Instead, Merlin explained, TikTok wanted to forge deals with most of the labels and distributors the coalition represented directly, a move that Merlin read as an attempt to “fragment” its membership and “minimize” payments for indie music. (TikTok says it walked away from negotiations with Merlin due to concerns about fraudulent content from certain Merlin members making its way onto the social media app. The company also says it wanted to form closer relationships with Merlin members.)

TikTok and Merlin both declined to comment for this story. 

Trending on Billboard

Since then, 12 different labels and distributors among the thousands represented by Merlin have spoken to Billboard about what they would do when their licenses expire after Halloween. Will the indies walk away, attempting to take a stand against TikTok in solidarity with Merlin? Will they renew their licenses individually? And if they do, how will those deals compare to what Merlin negotiated previously? (Nearly all of the executives who spoke to Billboard for this story requested anonymity, given most of their respective companies have non-disclosure agreements with TikTok.)

At first, one distribution executive said their company was not yet negotiating its own license with TikTok — because this exec said they were still hopeful that Merlin and TikTok might come back to the negotiating table. “We want to make sure there is no possibility with Merlin first,” the executive said. John Carnell, CEO of Phoenix Music International (PMI), had a similar view. In an email to Merlin, obtained by Billboard, Carnell said that while TikTok has approached Phoenix individually, “There is no way we would undermine Merlin’s position.”

Unlike Universal Music Group (UMG), which pulled its entire label and publishing catalog from TikTok earlier this year when its license with the platform expired amid renewal negotiations, antitrust laws prevent Merlin from forcing its members to move off of TikTok. It can’t even ask its members to collectively strike against TikTok, leaving the coalition with little choice but to accept TikTok’s decision.

Carnell ultimately decided PMI would “not be entering a deal with TikTok,” according to his email, but the other executive holdout took a different tack. This week, in a second interview, the executive said their company had decided to sign a direct deal with TikTok after all. “If I still thought that not signing would help Merlin get a new deal, or could help the independent music community, I would try to not sign,” the distribution executive said. “But even when Universal didn’t sign [a licensing deal], [TikTok] didn’t care… We have no choice [but to sign a new licensing agreement] because our artists want to be on TikTok — perhaps too much — but for them, it is very important.”

This is a commonly held sentiment among Merlin members, many of whom say their artists want to be on TikTok, and they need to oblige — or risk losing talent to competitors. In the last week, both UnitedMasters and Ditto announced that they had signed new agreements with TikTok. Steve Stoute, founder and CEO of UnitedMasters, told Billboard, “I believe we struck a fair deal with TikTok for UnitedMasters and our artists, who understand how valuable promotion can be for their reach… Merlin has done a great job representing independent labels across the world, and I am a proud Merlin member.” TikTok says that now the vast majority of Merlin members have signed direct deals with the company.

Multiple members say TikTok offered them new agreements around the time that Billboard broke the news in late September that Merlin’s negotiations with TikTok had collapsed. But not every member received an offer — which tracks, considering TikTok’s claim that fraudulent activity allegedly stemmed from specific members of Merlin. TikTok’s music licenses typically last two years, and most of the new deals offered this October will expire in late 2026.

Three sources say that the compensation terms provided under the new, individual offers from TikTok are not significantly better or worse than what Merlin previously negotiated, but that there have been some key changes. First, TikTok is now paying out music licensors based on views that videos featuring a song receives, rather than “creates” (how many videos are created with a given song in the background).

Specifically, TikTok will calculate market share based on views, and then the payment will be divided up from there. This does not mean TikTok now pays a certain royalty per view. “It makes sense,” says one indie executive. “I don’t know why they didn’t always pay based on views.” Another exec added, “It won’t lead to a major difference in how much we are paid. We are still doing the math, but it seems like there will be about a 4% difference in what we take in from TikTok, give or take.”

“TikTok was always paying us badly, so none of this is a financial problem in the short term,” says the indie label executive who initially wanted to hold out. “They are one of the biggest social media companies in the world, and the smallest revenue earner for a music company.” Another indie label source had a similar feeling. “It’s a promotional avenue more than anything else,” this person said. “I think there’s value in TikTok deals, but it’s, like, 1% of every company’s books. It’s not a big part of anyone’s business. I truly think the royalty conversation wasn’t the deal breaker, but there were other material terms that we wanted.”

One of those key term changes had to do with “ad credits,” which can also be referenced as “marketing credits.” Three sources said that the deals TikTok sent them did not include these credits, which amount to money offered by TikTok that a label can put toward advertisements and marketing on the app. One source says the previous, Merlin-negotiated agreement guaranteed a budget in the millions for ads and marketing on TikTok, with the sum of credits divided among individual members based on their size. Now, at least some labels, particularly the ones with less bargaining power, might not get them at all.

The three sources also said that while the previous contract included a “most favored nations” (MFN) clause, which gives licensors the right to the same terms and benefits as other licensors who enter similar contracts with TikTok, the new agreements did not. One also said their individual agreement included a new clause requiring “know your customer” (KYC) checks — which would require verification of artists’ identities before allowing them to upload songs — something TikTok says is designed to curb bad actors and fraudsters from getting their music on to TikTok. It also serves to place more responsibility on the labels and distributors for the content they deliver. The executive also claimed, however, that the provision’s language is vague and seems difficult to enforce.

Four sources suggested UMG’s previous licensing dispute with TikTok was the catalyst for TikTok to walk away from Merlin. “[UMG] definitely emboldened TikTok,” says one source close to the situation. “They lost that war, and they created a really bad situation for Merlin. Sony and Warner are up next year, too. If I was them, I’d be terrified right now.”

Still, another indie label executive, whose releases run through a Merlin distributor, holds a different view — that, maybe, TikTok is not so important now after all. “We’re sticking with Merlin,” the executive says. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. If this happened a year, two years ago, I’d be freaking out. But these days, TikTok isn’t moving the needle for our artists like it used to.”

While his artists used to “easily get tens of thousands of views on most TikToks without any spend,” he says the social media platform is too “saturated” now, and he’s watched as his artists’ impressions have tanked. He’s not alone. In a recent Billboard story about the modern creator campaign on TikTok, multiple digital marketing sources expressed that it is harder than ever to get a song off the ground on the service. But, as one source put it, “It’s still the best thing we have.”

“But what does not having a deal even mean at this point?” another indie label executive asked. “When these things come down, it just encourages the bootleg use of songs on these platforms. The music will be up, just not properly attributed.” During UMG’s boycott of TikTok earlier this year, it was common to still find Universal songs on the platform, just as bootlegged remixes, not as official audio. Sometimes, to skirt the effects of the boycott, top UMG stars like Olivia Rodrigo would even use these bootlegs to promote their latest releases.

TikTok originally told Merlin members that the deadline to finalize their individual agreements with the service was Oct. 25, but one label executive said they have heard that TikTok has offered extensions to certain members. Three sources believe that smaller Merlin members won’t have room to negotiate past the original boilerplate offer, but the larger players will find more wiggle room. Those who received extensions or finalized deals will not have their music removed from the app today, but TikTok says it has already started removing songs from those members that chose not to strike a deal. The company assures that the vast majority of Merlin members have already cemented their deals. 

“I wish it had worked out differently between Merlin and Tiktok,” one Merlin member says. “But if our partnership needs to be direct with ByteDance in order to serve our clients, then you know, that’s the avenue that we have to take. Only time will tell how this all plays out.”

Additional Reporting by Elias Leight