They say when two elephants fight, it is the grass suffers. This is the case as giants TikTok and Universal Music Group's fight has escalated and affecting artists and those in the music industry.

BLURRED FACES

After a never-ending contract war, TikTok has taken the fight further and is said to be blurring out the faces of artists signed to Universal such as The Beatles, Adele, Taylor Swift, Megan Thee Stallion, The Weekend and Adele. This comes after they started removing music owned by Universal Music Group amid licensing and royalties disputes. While many thought this was a TikTok trend, it appeared it was against Universal Music Group artists.

THE FIGHT

The fight between Universal Music Group and TikTok is due to a disagreement over how music should be compensated and valued on digital platforms. This is not just another corporate spat but a serious matter. On 31 January 2024, the license agreement between TikTok and Universal Music Group expired and they have not reached an agreement to renew the licensing deal. This has led to the contract being terminated, and Universal Music Group's music removed from the platform. In January, the music stable wrote an open letter sharing their thoughts on the matter. "TikTok attempted to bully us into accepting a deal worth less than the previous deal, far less than fair market value, and reflective of their exponential growth. How did it try to intimidate us? By selectively removing the music of certain of our developing artists, while keeping on the platform our audience-driving global stars." TikTok has accused Universal Music Group putting their "greed above the interest of their artists and songwriters."