Beyoncé, SZA, Styles among non-UMG tracks caught in TikTok takedown

[UPDATED] This week, the third and final phase of TikTok’s forced takedown of all UMG-controlled music began. The short video service has 30 days from January 31st to complete the process.

In this phase tracks from artists who do not record for a UMG-related label, including Beyoncé, Raphael Saadiq, Harry Styles, SZA, Bad Bunny, and Steve Lacy, are being muted or taken down because at least one of the songwriters is signed to Universal Music Group Publishing (UMPG).

When UMG notified TikTok that it was not renewing its licensing agreements, sources told Hypebot that the music takedowns would happen in three phases.

In the first phase, TikTok removed songs recorded by UMG artists from its pre-cleared music library, making creating new videos using its tracks more difficult. In the second phase, videos already posted that included UMG music were muted.

Universal Music Group is estimated to control more than 3 – 4 million tracks from artists including Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, The Weeknd, SZA, Drake, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, Rosalía, Harry Styles, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Adele, U2, Elton John, J Balvin, Brandi Carlile, Coldplay, Post Malone and thousands more.

Phase 3

In this third phase, which includes tracks from non-UMG recording acts like Beyoncé, Saadiq, Styles, SZA, and others, any use of the millions of songs controlled by UMG Publishing Group will be muted or taken down. That includes songs where only one of multiple songwriters is represented by UMGP.

TikTok claims that these tracks represent 30% of music use, while MBW estimates that it could be as much as 80% of “relevant repertoire.”

Whatever the actual number, until the pair inevitably cut a new deal, the disagreement leaves a big hole in TikTok’s music offering.

Bruce Houghton is the Founder and Editor of Hypebot, a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, President of the Skyline Artists Agency, and a Berklee College Of Music professor.