TikTok Helped Songs By Taylor Swift And Ice Spice Become Chart-Toppers—But Their Label Is Pulling Music From The Platform

Topline

Songs from artists like Taylor Swift, Drake and Ariana Grande could disappear from TikTok after Universal Music Group’s licensing deal with the platform expires today—meaning these artists will lose a key promotional tool that helped songs like Swift’s “Cruel Summer” and The Weeknd’s “Die For You” become viral hits and Billboard chart-toppers.

Swift's song "Cruel Summer" topped the Billboard Hot 100 after going viral on TikTok. (Photo by ... [+] Marcelo Endelli/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)

Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

Key Facts

Swift’s “Cruel Summer,” released under UMG’s Republic Records, topped the Billboard Hot 100 four years after release partially thanks to TikTok virality—it’s been used in 2.4 million TikTok posts and was the 10th most-used song on the platform last year, according to TikTok’s year-end report.

The Weeknd also had one of 2023’s biggest hits with his 2017 song “Die For You,” also released under Republic, because it went viral on TikTok years after release and inspired a new remix with Ariana Grande.

Ice Spice signed to UMG’s Capitol Records and released viral hits like “In Ha Mood”—which was the eighth-biggest song on TikTok last year—and “Princess Diana” with fellow UMG artist Nicki Minaj, which went No. 4 on the Hot 100.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder on the Dancefloor,” released by UMG label Polydor, currently ranks No. 3 on Billboard’s TikTok Top 50 chart following its inclusion in the film “Saltburn”—two versions of the song have been used in more than 630,000 TikTok videos combined thanks to viral trends.

Billie Eilish’s “Barbie” movie hit “What Was I Made For?,” released under UMG’s Interscope, went viral on TikTok and has been used in more than 1.7 million videos after inspiring trends where users celebrated girlhood and shared pictures of them as children.

Other UMG artists with songs currently getting a boost from TikTok virality include Nicki Minaj, who has three songs on the Billboard TikTok Top 50 chart, and Ariana Grande, whose latest hit “yes, and?” ranks No. 23 on the chart and has already been used in more than 200,000 TikTok posts.

News Peg

UMG said in a statement Tuesday its contract with TikTok, which licenses its music for use in posts on the platform, expires Jan. 31, after which its songs will be removed from the service because negotiations to renew its licensing agreement failed. UMG accused TikTok of attempting to “bully” the company into accepting a deal it says is worth less than the previous deal and is not reflective of TikTok’s “exponential growth.” The label said it has attempted to press TikTok on three core issues during contract negotiations: better compensation for artists and songwriters, fighting against AI-generated recordings, and combating hate speech on the platform. UMG said it has an “overriding responsibility to our artists to fight for a new agreement” that meets its standards. TikTok has surged as a platform for artists to achieve viral hits in recent years. A study commissioned by TikTok and conducted by music data firm Luminate linked higher exposure for songs on TikTok to bigger streaming numbers. Other songs released by artists not signed to UMG labels have also benefited from TikTok virality, including Miley Cyrus’ No. 1 hit “Flowers,” which has been used in more than 5.5 million TikTok posts.

Chief Critics

TikTok criticized UMG in a statement published to social media Tuesday evening, pointing to how TikTok can be used as a promotional tool for artists. “Despite Universal’s false narrative and rhetoric, the fact is they have chosen to walk away from the powerful support of a platform with well over a billion users that serves as a free promotional and discovery vehicle for their talent,” TikTok said.

Surprising Fact

Other artists signed by labels under UMG—one of the “Big Three” record labels, alongside Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group—include Lady Gaga, BTS, Lana Del Rey, Billie Eilish, Eminem, Justin Bieber, Karol G and Post Malone.

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