Universal Music Group and TikTok renew their agreement to combat unauthorized AI music

Universal Music Group (UMG) and TikTok recently announced the renewal of their licensing agreement, which includes a commitment to eliminate unauthorized AI-generated music from the platform to improve how artists and songwriters record.

In their joint announcement, UMG stated that the agreement “expands TikTok and UMG’s pioneering commitment to protecting AI that enhances human artistry and ensures platform economics flow effectively to artists and songwriters. TikTok and UMG will work together to remove unauthorized AI-generated music from the platform, while further improving artist and songwriter attribution.”

This new agreement represents a significant shift in the relationship between UMG and TikTok.

For years, UMG has pushed platforms, streaming services, and AI companies to implement stricter content moderation policies. Tensions between UMG and TikTok escalated in 2024 when UMG accused TikTok of inadequately handling issues related to AI-generated music and copyright. This public dispute led UMG to temporarily pull its music catalog from TikTok — a decision that underscored the app’s increasing reliance on major brand licenses as popular tracks disappeared from user videos overnight.

The timing of TikTok’s commitment to crack down on fake or unlicensed music is important especially as the music industry grapples with an influx of AI-generated content. Over the past couple of years, the industry has been increasingly concerned about artificial intelligence tools that can imitate artists’ voices or create fake songs that exploit streaming algorithms. AI-generated songs that mimicked big names like Drake and The Weeknd sparked widespread concern, especially when some racked up millions of streams before being taken down.

The deal may also serve as a model for how the broader tech industry deals with the collision of AI, intellectual property, and platform accountability. As the European Union tightens its regulatory grip on AI-generated content (and US states increasingly follow suit) around AI-generated content, pressure is mounting on other platforms to formalize similar governance frameworks.

TikTok is working to prove to the music industry that it can generate significant profits for artists and rights holders. Last year, the platform launched “TikTok for Artists,” an insights platform designed to help artists boost their promotional efforts and provide music labels with access to data.