After a 10-week absence, some of Taylor Swift’s music is back on TikTok. This comes despite an ongoing battle between her record label, Universal Music Group (UMG), and the ByteDance-owned popular social media app over artist compensation and contractual terms.
Reports have pointed that only certain songs and and tracks from her re-recorded “Taylor’s Version” albums are currently available. Songs from her earlier albums not yet re-recorded, like “Reputation,” remain unavailable. According to a report by Variety, Taylor’s songs including “You Belong With Me,” “Lover,” “Cardigan,” “Mirrorball,” “Fearless (Taylor’s Version),” “Cruel Summer,” “Cardigan,” “Style (Taylor’s Version),” “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version),” “The Man” and “ME!” are available on TikTok as of Thursday.
The timing of Swift’s re-emergence on TikTok coincides with the release of her highly anticipated album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” slated to drop April 19. This could mean a potential marketing deal between Swift and TikTok, independent of UMG’s dispute.
Meanwhile, the broader conflict between UMG and TikTok continues. UMG, one of the largest music companies globally, pulled its content from TikTok earlier this year when negotiations for a renewed licensing agreement failed to materialize. The move affected not only Swift’s music but also tracks from other prominent UMG artists like Bad Bunny, Beatles, Bob Dylan, Drake, Harry Styles, the Weeknd, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Adele, Coldplay, and Post Malone, among others.
UMG accuses TikTok of unfair compensation for artists, while TikTok denies these claims. With neither side backing down, fans of other UMG artists may have to wait longer for their favorite songs to return. But in Taylor’s case, her return appears to be a separate agreement from UMG’s stance, as she owns the copyrights to her recordings and has the authority to dictate where her music is available. Meanwhile, details of the arrangement remain under wraps as of now.
