Image source, Getty Images
Taylor Swift’s songs are back on TikTok following a dispute that led her label to stop licensing its content to the app.
Her music’s return on Thursday comes ahead of the release of her new album, The Tortured Poets Department.
Universal Music pulled songs by its artists in January, including Rihanna and Ariana Grande, citing a licensing dispute.
Many artists have complained about inadequate royalties from TikTok.
While many of her songs – including You Belong With Me and Cruel Summer – are again available for users to add to their videos, music belonging to Universal’s other artists has still not been relisted.
That may be because unlike other artists, Swift owns the copyright to her music under the terms of a 2018 deal with Universal. Some reports speculated Swift reached a separate deal with TikTok.
“Swifties” – Taylor Swift fans – took to the platform to share their delight at her music returning.
“OMG this made my whole year,” wrote verified user Jessica Golich, adding that users would “have the whole new album to play with”.
Divendra Rai recorded a video lip syncing to Cruel Summer, captioned: “Welcome back Taylor!!!”
In an open letter published on 30 January, Universal claimed that “ultimately TikTok is trying to build a music-based business, without paying fair value for the music”.
Universal said it was also concerned about getting fair compensation for artists for AI-generated songs made to sound like the real thing, such as one made to sound like Drake and The Weeknd which went viral.
Swift announced her upcoming album while accepting her 13th Grammy award earlier this year.
The Tortured Poets Department, which will be released on 19 April, is her 11th album.
The BBC has contacted Universal and TikTok for comment.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
