Taylor Swift was one of the many artists whose music became unavailable on TikTok in February due to a dispute between the social media app and Universal Music Group. But now, according to published reports, Taylor’s music is back on TikTok, just in time for the release of her new album, The Tortured Poets Department.
Songs by Taylor, Lady Gaga, Drake, Billie Eilish, Post Malone, Olivia Rodrigo and other top artists were pulled off the app by Universal Music Group, which distributes the music. UMG said that it couldn’t come to terms with TikTok when it came to “appropriate compensation” for the artists, as well as online safety and protecting artists’ careers from being harmed by AI.
Variety speculates that Taylor’s music may be an exception because she owns her publishing and her masters, and that she may have made a separate deal with TikTok in order to promote The Tortured Poets Department, which is coming out April 19. When Midnights was released in 2022, Taylor provided TikTok with exclusive video content; perhaps she’s looking to do something similar this time around.
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