{"id":17935,"date":"2024-02-08T15:29:03","date_gmt":"2024-02-08T15:29:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new-blog.artlist.io\/blog\/?p=17799"},"modified":"2024-02-14T12:50:18","modified_gmt":"2024-02-14T12:50:18","slug":"umg-music-tiktok","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new-blog.artlist.io\/blog\/umg-music-tiktok\/","title":{"rendered":"Why has TikTok gone silent?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>The sound of silence<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On Thursday, the TikTok community woke up to a surprising silence. Millions of videos featuring popular songs from music icons like Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, Drake, and Ariana Grande were muted. This was the result of a high-profile dispute between TikTok and Universal Music Group (Universal), the world&#8217;s largest music company.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The event has sent shockwaves through the social media world and the music industry. Universal&#8217;s decision to pull its entire music catalog from the social media platform will have a significant ripple effect on content creators, brands, the cultural conversation, and the music industry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/C3H1x0VCcv6\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<div style=\"padding: 16px;\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: auto;\">\n<div style=\"width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;\"><a style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;\" href="\&quot;https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/C3H1x0VCcv6\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\&quot;" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post shared by Artlist.io (@artlist.io)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src="\&quot;\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\&quot;"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We&#8217;ll explain everything you need to know about Universal&#8217;s departure from TikTok and how creators and brands can act quickly to protect their content and revenue streams on TikTok.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Who is Universal Music?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Universal Music Group is the world&#8217;s biggest music company. It&#8217;s made up of a number of businesses in the fields of recording, publishing, merchandising, and other activities associated with the music industry. The company has several big-name artists across multiple genres, countries, and demographics, like Taylor Swift, Eminem, Lady Gaga, Elton John, U2, and many more. With so many famous names on their roster, it&#8217;s easy to see why Universal&#8217;s decision to leave TikTok would significantly impact the platform and its users.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Why did Universal Music remove its music from TikTok?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Universal&#8217;s decision to remove their music from TikTok came at the end of a series of failed negotiations between the two companies. However, these failed negotiations represent a more significant conflict between artists and media companies that have played out over the past few years.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tensions rose further with social media platforms like TikTok wanting to give users as much access to music and other creative tools as possible while keeping costs down like any business would. On the other hand, the objective of music companies is to represent their artists and ensure they&#8217;re fairly compensated for their work through credits and royalties.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New technologies like AI have further exacerbated this tension in recent years. There is a legal grey area where people can ask an AI tool to create a &#8220;new&#8221; song that sounds similar to a famous copyrighted version. Several music businesses have leveled claims at TikTok and other media companies, claiming they&#8217;re not doing enough to protect their artists against AI-generated music.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Universal Music penned an <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.universalmusic.com\/an-open-letter-to-the-artist-and-songwriter-community-why-we-must-call-time-out-on-tiktok\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">open letter<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">why they must call time on TikTok<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, stating, &#8220;Our agreements with TikTok have expired because of TikTok&#8217;s unwillingness to appropriately compensate artists and songwriters, protect human artists from the harmful effects of AI, and address online safety issues for TikTok&#8217;s users<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TikTok published a reply within hours: &#8220;<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is sad and disappointing that Universal Music Group has put their greed above the interests of their artists and songwriters. Despite Universal&#8217;s false narrative and rhetoric, the fact is they have chosen to walk away from the powerful support of a platform with well over a billion users that serves as a free promotional and discovery vehicle for their talent. TikTok has been able to reach &#8216;artist-first&#8217; agreements with every other label and publisher. Clearly, Universal&#8217;s self-serving actions are not in the best interests of artists, songwriters, and fans.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Where these two will go from here is unknown; however, given the heated and very public exchange, things will probably need to simmer down before they can reach an agreement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Who will be impacted by the split?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Universal&#8217;s decision to remove its music from TikTok will impact creators, brands, and musicians. Creators and brands with existing TikTok videos that already contain music from Universal will need to act fast or risk getting their content buried by the algorithm. This will be especially urgent for any <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/artlist.io\/blog\/how-to-make-money-on-tiktok\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">videos that creators are monetizing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0since revenue is dependent on views and engagement. As a platform, TikTok favors content with sound. So if your video has been muted, the best thing to do is replace the music with an available sound, or consider creating a new one altogether.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is a Universal-sized hole in the TikTok music catalog for creators and brands that are looking to upload new content. However, this transition moment could positively impact creators, giving them an even greater opportunity to step out of the charts and find fresh music for their content. One solution for creators could be exploring Artlist&#8217;s music catalog. Rather than using the same music as everyone else on the platform, creators can take the opportunity to stand out with high-quality music made by real artists. Creators can explore the specially curated <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/artlist.io\/collection\/11346\/tiktok-soundtracks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TikTok collection<\/span><\/a>,<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or search the library for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/artlist.io\/royalty-free-music\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">music<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/artlist.io\/sfx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sound effects<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and filter by mood, video theme, genre, instrument, and more to find the perfect track.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n    <div class=\"playlist\" id=\"69d0697261d9d\"><\/div>\n\n    <script>\n        jQuery(document).ready(function($) {\n\n            if(\"songs\" == 'songs') {\n                $.ajax({\n                    method: \"POST\",\n                 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class=\"noSongsError\">No songs were found.<\/div>');\n                        }\n                    }\n                });\n            } else if(\"songs\" == 'sfx') {\n                $.ajax({\n                    method: \"POST\",\n                    url: \"https:\/\/search-api.artlist.me\/v1\/graphql\",\n                    contentType: \"application\/json\",\n                    data: JSON.stringify({\n                        query: `query SfxList($categoryIds: String!, $page: Float!, $tags: String!, $term: String!, $sortBy: SfxListRequestSortByOptions!) {\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tsfxList(categoryIds: $categoryIds, page: $page, tags: $tags, term: $term, sortBy: $sortBy) {\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  page\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  songs {\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  albumImageFilePath\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  artistName\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  isNew\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  nameForURL\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  relativeUrl\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  sitePlayableFilePath        \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  songId \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  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audio player container\n                    const audioPlayer = $(\"<div>\").addClass(\"audioPlayer\");\n                    \/\/ album image\n                    const audioImage = $(\"<div>\").addClass(\"audioImage\");\n                    audioImage.append('<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"' + audio.albumImageFilePath + '\"\/>');\n                    \/\/ audio controls\n                    const audioControls = $(\"<div>\").addClass(\"audioControls\");\n                    const playPauseButton = $(\"<button>\").addClass(\"playPauseButton\").html('<i class=\"fas fa-play\"><\/i>');\n                    audioControls.append(playPauseButton);\n                    \/\/ song url\n                    var songUrl;\n                    if(\"songs\" == 'songs') {\n                        songUrl = 'https:\/\/artlist.io\/royalty-free-music\/song\/' + audio.nameForURL + '\/' + audio.songId + '?download=1&utm_source=blog';\n                    } else if(\"songs\" == 'sfx') {\n                        songUrl = 'https:\/\/artlist.io\/sfx\/track\/' + audio.nameForURL + '\/' + audio.songId + '?download=1&utm_source=blog';\n                    }\n                    \/\/ song name and artist name\n                    const audioNames = $(\"<div>\").addClass(\"audioNames\");\n                    const songName = $(\"<a>\").addClass(\"songName\").attr(\"href\", songUrl).attr(\"target\", \"_blank\").text(audio.songName);\n                    if (audio.isNew) {\n                        songName.append('<span class=\"isNewBadge\">NEW<\/span>');\n                    }\n                    const artistName = $(\"<span>\").addClass(\"artistName\").text(audio.artistName);\n                    audioNames.append(songName, artistName);\n                    \/\/ audio waveform container\n                    const audioWaveform = $(\"<div>\").addClass(\"audioWaveform\");\n                    \/\/ download button\n                    const audioDownload = $(\"<a>\").addClass(\"audioDownload\").attr(\"href\", songUrl).attr(\"target\", \"_blank\").html('<i class=\"icon download medium\"><\/i>');\n\n\n                    \/\/ APPEND ALL ELEMENTS INTO AUDIO PLAYER CONTAINER\n                    audioPlayer.append(audioImage, audioControls, audioNames, audioWaveform, audioDownload);\n\n                    \/\/ append audio player container into main playlist container\n                    playlistContainer.append(audioPlayer);\n\n                    \/* media viewed SEGMENT EVENT *\/\n                    const special_data = getProps();\n\n                    const observer = new IntersectionObserver(entries => {\n                        entries.forEach(entry => {\n                            if (entry.isIntersecting) {\n                                var assetId = audio.songId;\n                                var artist = audio.artistName;\n                                var title = audio.songName;\n                                var 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\"#b1b1b1\",\n                        progressColor: \"#171717\",\n                        cursorColor: \"transparent\",\n                        height: waveformHeight,\n                        normalize: true,\n                    });\n                    \/\/ push current wavesurfer into wavesurfers array\n                    \/\/ wavesurfers.push(wavesurfer);\n                    allWavesurfers.push(wavesurfer);\n                    \/\/ load audio file into new wavesurfer\n                    wavesurfer.load(audio.sitePlayableFilePath);\n\n                    \/\/ add event listener to the play\/pause button\n                    playPauseButton.on(\"click\", () => {\n                        if (wavesurfer.isPlaying()) {\n                            wavesurfer.pause();\n                            playPauseButton.html('<i class=\"fas fa-play\"><\/i>');\n\n                            \/* media paused SEGMENT EVENT *\/\n                            var assetId = audio.songId;\n                            var artist = audio.artistName;\n                            var title = audio.songName;\n                            var asset_type = null;\n                            if(\"songs\" == 'songs') {\n                                asset_type = 'song';\n                            } else if(\"songs\" == 'sfx') {\n                                asset_type = 'sfx';\n                            }\n                            analytics.track(\"media paused\", {\n                                asset_id: assetId || null,\n                                asset_type: asset_type || null,\n                                click_source: 'player',\n                                artist: artist || null,\n                                title: title || null,\n                                genre: null,\n                                ...special_data,\n                            });\n                        } else {\n                            \/\/ pause all other audios that may be playing\n                            $('.playPauseButton').html('<i class=\"fas fa-play\"><\/i>');\n                            $.each(allWavesurfers, function(index, audio) {\n                                allWavesurfers[index].pause();\n                            });\n                            \/\/ then play current audio\n                            wavesurfer.play();\n                            playPauseButton.html('<i class=\"fas fa-pause\"><\/i>');\n\n                            \/* media played SEGMENT EVENT *\/\n                            var assetId = audio.songId;\n                            var artist = audio.artistName;\n                            var title = audio.songName;\n                            var asset_type = null;\n                            if(\"songs\" == 'songs') {\n                                asset_type = 'song';\n                            } else if(\"songs\" == 'sfx') {\n                                asset_type = 'sfx';\n                            }\n                            analytics.track(\"media played\", {\n                                asset_id: assetId || null,\n                                asset_type: asset_type || null,\n                                click_source: 'player',\n                                artist: artist || null,\n                                title: title || null,\n                                genre: null,\n                                ...special_data,\n                            });\n                        }\n                    });\n\n                    \/* media downloaded SEGMENT EVENT *\/\n                    audioDownload.on(\"click\", () => {\n                        var assetId = audio.songId;\n                        var artist = audio.artistName;\n                        var title = audio.songName;\n                        var asset_type = null;\n                        if(\"songs\" == 'songs') {\n                            asset_type = 'song';\n                        } else if(\"songs\" == 'sfx') {\n                            asset_type = 'sfx';\n                        }\n                        analytics.track(\"media downloaded\", {\n                            asset_id: assetId || null,\n                            asset_type: asset_type || null,\n                            click_source: 'player',\n                            artist: artist || null,\n                            title: title || null,\n                            genre: null,\n                            ...special_data,\n                        });\n                    });\n\n                    \/\/ add event listener to the click on the wave itself\n                    audioWaveform.on(\"click\", () => {\n                        setTimeout(() => {\n                            if (wavesurfer.isPlaying()) {\n                                wavesurfer.pause();\n                                playPauseButton.html('<i class=\"fas fa-play\"><\/i>');\n                            } else {\n                                \/\/ pause all other audios that may be playing\n                                $('.playPauseButton').html('<i class=\"fas fa-play\"><\/i>');\n                                $.each(allWavesurfers, function(index, audio) {\n                                    allWavesurfers[index].pause();\n                                });\n                                \/\/ then play current audio\n                                wavesurfer.play();\n                                playPauseButton.html('<i class=\"fas fa-pause\"><\/i>');\n                            }\n                        }, \"200\");\n                    });\n\n                });\n            }\n\n        });\n    <\/script>\n\n    \n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The impact on musicians is largely split when it comes to famous musicians and emerging artists. Even some of the world&#8217;s biggest stars on Universal&#8217;s roster may feel the impact of being excluded from the platform. In recent years, TikTok has become a significant promotional outlet for music, has driven trends, and has even caused some musicians to see a return of their old songs to the Top 40 charts. Many fans, especially young fans, rely on the platform to discover music. And emerging musicians have an enormous opportunity to get discovered on the platform and grow their following.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But for now, at least, it seems that Universal is steadfast in their resolve that they&#8217;ve made a bold move with the best interests of their artists in mind<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>How can Artlist help?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether you&#8217;re creating new content for TikTok or need to update the music on an older video, Artlist&#8217;s content library has a vast selection of high-quality <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/artlist.io\/royalty-free-music\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">royalty-free music<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/artlist.io\/sfx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sound effects<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/artlist.io\/stock-footage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">footage<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and more to help you stand out on TikTok.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another advantage of using Artlist assets is the simple license, which grants unlimited access to all the assets you need under one subscription. You can download Artlist music for your projects, including TikTok videos, and you&#8217;ll never have to worry about the music being removed from your video. We take care of all the legal aspects, so you don&#8217;t have to worry about messy topics like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/artlist.io\/blog\/how-to-know-if-a-song-is-copyrighted\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">copyright<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or public disputes between music companies and social media giants.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Searching for music from lesser-known artists might seem intimidating, especially for brands and creators under pressure to publish content in real-time while a trend is still relevant. A combination of data, experience, and professional intuition backs everything Artlist produces. It&#8217;s vital for our users that we publish the music they need for their content. The content team at Artlist constantly analyses data and forecasts trends in order to understand and deliver the assets that today&#8217;s content creators need.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learn more about <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/artlist.io\/blog\/original-series\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Artlist Original music<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Wrapping up<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What happens next in this conflict between two of the largest players in the media business is anyone&#8217;s guess. Perhaps big-name artists can wield some influence. Maybe we&#8217;ll see some unprecedented reform in the industry. But as a creator, brand, or musician, you shouldn&#8217;t sit by and wait to find out. Take action and update your TikTok content with royalty-free music like Artlist&#8217;s offering to stay ahead of the competition, engage your audience, and achieve your goals. Explore the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/artlist.io\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Artlist catalog<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> today.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The sound of silence On Thursday, the TikTok community woke up to a surprising silence. Millions of videos featuring popular songs from music icons like Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, Drake, and Ariana Grande were muted. This was the result of a high-profile dispute between TikTok and Universal Music Group (Universal), the world&#8217;s largest music [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":17942,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,583],"tags":[458,20,108,49,89],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Why did Universal Music leave TikTok?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Universal Music Group has pulled their music from TikTok. 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