Taylor Swift songs have returned to TikTok, after a ten-week gap resulting from a dispute between the short video app and Universal Music. That dispute hasn’t ended, but it appears that Swift has reached an individual agreement with TikTok.
Separately, TikTok has announced plans to use AI to create virtual influencers who will compete with real ones for brand deals …
Swift was one of a long list of artists whose music was pulled from TikTok back in February, after Universal Music Group failed to reach agreement on renewing a license.
TikTok creators are able to use popular music as part of their videos, thanks to a licensing deal with major recored labels. This includes Universal Music Group, whose artists include Swift, Bad Bunny, Sting, The Weeknd, Alicia Keys, Drake, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, Rosalía, Harry Styles, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Adele, U2, Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Coldplay, Bob Dylan, and Post Malone.
Universal said TikTok wanted to pay lower fees for the music, while TikTok responded that all other major labels have renewed on the these terms.
Variety reports that as of yesterday, Swift songs are once more available for use by TikTok creators.
As of Thursday morning, multiple Swift songs — including “You Belong With Me,” “Lover,” “Cardigan,” “Mirrorball,” “Fearless (Taylor’s Version),” “Cruel Summer,” “Cardigan,” “Style (Taylor’s Version),” “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version),” “The Man” and “ME!” — were available on the TikTok app for users to incorporate into their videos.
The site notes that the same is not true of other Universal artists, which suggests she’s reached an independent agreement with TikTok. She’s able to do this because although she uses Universal for distribution, Swift retains ownership of her own masters.
Swift was last year named Apple Music Artist of the Year.
One of the biggest revenue streams for influencer are brand sponsorship deals, whose payments can dwarf earnings from standard monetization. However, The Information reports that this could be threatened by the platforms plans to use AI to create virtual influencers for advertisers.
The feature, which is still under development and could change, would generate a script for a video ad based on a prompt submitted by the advertiser, as well as an AI-generated influencer to perform in the video, according to an advertiser who has seen plans for the tool.
The site says TikTok has been discussing the plan with advertisers, while the company itself declined to comment beyond saying that it is always testing new ideas.
Photo by Omid Armin on Unsplash
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Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!
