Taylor Swift Sidesteps Label's Ban, Sparks Frenzy On TikTok With Music Revival Ahead Of Album Release

Taylor Swift has taken matters into her own hands by reintroducing her music to TikTok, sidestepping her label’s ban. The move comes just in time for the release of her new album, stirring excitement among fans and creators on the platform.

What Happened: Defying Universal Music Group‘s (UMG) directive, Swift has brought her music back to TikTok, Business Insider reported. This comes ahead of her much-awaited album “The Tortured Poets Department,” set to release on April 19.

Swift’s unique copyright agreement with UMG allows her to independently distribute her music, a liberty not afforded to other UMG artists amid a royalties dispute with TikTok. Her music’s reappearance on Thursday took fans and TikTok users by surprise, who were quick to engage with her tracks.

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UMG pulled its catalog from TikTok on Jan. 31, citing unsatisfactory negotiations over royalties and AI usage. This standoff has not impacted other major labels like Sony or Warner Music Group, which continue their licensing agreements with TikTok.

Why It Matters: The friction between UMG and TikTok began in February when a UMG spokesperson condemned TikTok’s approach to artist compensation.

The ongoing battle between UMG and TikTok over music rights has been escalating, with UMG pulling approximately four million songs from TikTok. UMG accused TikTok of undervaluing their music, impacting artists like Harry Styles and Coldplay as their music was also withdrawn from the platform.

Swift, a Grammy record-setter and billionaire, has previously challenged streaming models, removing her music from Spotify Inc. in 2014 and returning in 2017 after constructive talks with Spotify’s CEO.

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