Why TikTok Went Silent
As TikTok and UMG argue over whether TikTok is a music platform or not, artists are left in the dark.
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Thousands of songs have disappeared from TikTok in recent months as music giant Universal Music Group, or UMG, has pulled its catalog from the app. UMG claims that TikTok is a music platform, and that TikTok needs to pay more to license its music. TikTok claims they’re a marketing platform that helps labels promote their artists. But while the two sides argue over contract negotiations for licensing music on the video platform, many artists are left scrambling.
Guest: Ethan Millman, staff writer at Rolling Stone covering the music industry.
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Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Anna Phillips.
