TikTok sounds go silent as songs disappear from app::Videos across the platform have lost their audio in dramatic dispute
Universal Music Group has put their own greed above the interests of their artists and songwriters.
They want to be paid?! What is this.
… that serves as a free promotional and discovery vehicle for their talent.
Yeah, cause artists (well, people in general) love getting paid in exposure.
I know it’s become a meme, but exposure is a real tangible thing. If I get a clip of my song onto millions of people’s phone screens and I don’t pay for it, it’s basically thousands (if not tens of thousands) of dollars of free advertising.
Just because some asshole on Facebook marketplace is begging for free commissions doesn’t invalidate the benefits you can gain from exposure in general.
Having said all that, we are talking about Universal not some indie folk band. The same thing Tiktok is doing to Universal (paying a very small %) is exactly what Universal does to artists. I have very little empathy for either Tiktok or Universal.
On the topic, I actually support Tiktok more in the sense that independent artists now have the means to go viral much more easily on a platform which inevitably leads to organic growth + success. Universal is a behemoth from an era that hasn’t fully died.
This could be a good move for everyone. It said TikTok has agreements with everyone else so many other artists will have the chance to get noticed now. The Universal artists are already well known and don’t really need more promotion anyways. This gives the smaller people a chance. Aight I’m off to learn an instrument, write a song, create a record label, and sign up for TikTok exposure. Wish me luck…how hard could it be.
Exposure is great until you try to pay for your groceries with exposure. The manager of my local ACME hasn’t been very receptive.
