Taylor Swift’s fans were thrilled when her music returned to TikTok after a licensing dispute led her label to pull her songs from the app.
Universal Music, Taylor’s label, had removed songs by various artists, including Rihanna and Ariana Grande, in January due to the licensing disagreement. However, Taylor Swift’s music reappeared on the platform just before the release of her new album, The Tortured Poets Department.
While many of Swift’s popular songs like “You Belong With Me” and “Cruel Summer” are now available for TikTok users, music from other Universal artists remains unavailable. This could be attributed to the fact that Taylor Swift owns the copyright to her music under a deal with Universal from 2018. Some reports suggest that Swift may have reached a separate agreement with TikTok to allow her music back on the platform.
Fans, known as “Swifties”, expressed their joy at the return of Taylor Swift’s music, with many sharing their excitement on TikTok. The upcoming release of The Tortured Poets Department on April 19th has also generated anticipation among her followers.
Universal Music raised concerns about TikTok not adequately compensating artists for their music and also mentioned the issue of fair compensation for AI-generated songs that imitate real artists. Despite these challenges, Taylor Swift remains a prominent figure in the music industry, having recently announced her new album and accepting her 13th Grammy award.
The BBC has reached out to both Universal Music and TikTok for comment on the matter. It is evident that Taylor Swift’s presence and influence in the music world continue to captivate audiences worldwide, including on platforms like TikTok.
