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Taylor Swift's music returns to TikTok despite feud with UMG

Universal Music Group's entire catalog of music was wiped from TikTok when its contract expired in January. Only songs by Swift have reappeared.
Taylor Swift's music returns to TikTok despite feud with UMG
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Some of Taylor Swift’s songs are back on TikTok.

Her music had been removed from the platform in January along with Universal Music Group’s entire catalog of 78,000 albums after UMG and TikTok failed to reach an agreement on a new contract.

TikTok sounds featuring music from artists like Drake, Bad Bunny and Billie Eilish had been wiped from the platform. But songs like Swift’s “Cruel Summer,” "Cardigan"and “Love Story (Taylor’s Version),” among others, are back.

Notably, it seems only songs by Swift have reappeared.

As pointed out by Variety, it’s likely the pop star may have reached a separate deal with TikTok. Because the artist owns her masters and has been rerecording old music to own it, it's possible she had the power to negotiate her own deal with the platform.

This comes a week before Swift’s new album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” is set to drop on April 19.

TikTok’s previous contract with UMG expired on Jan. 31. During negotiations, UMG accused TikTok of offering artists and songwriters a fraction of what other similarly situated social media platforms do.

TikTok fired back at the time, saying its platform of well over 1 billion users served as a free promotional tool for talent. The social media company called it “sad and disappointing” that UMG put its own greed above the interests of their artists.

Scripps News has reached out to both TikTok and Universal Music Group for comment and has not heard back yet. 

SEE MORE: Universal Music Group pulls entire catalog from TikTok


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