Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Drake, more artists' songs returning to TikTok amid new licensing deal with UMG

EW has confirmed that songs from Adele, SZA, Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, and more will be back on TikTok within two weeks.

TikTok and Universal Music Group — the company that represents music's biggest stars, from Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga to Drake, Ariana Grande, and Adele — have reached a new licensing agreement that will see the return of all UMG artists' libraries to the social media platform.

Following news of the deal, a representative for TikTok tells Entertainment Weekly Thursday that the artists' libraries are expected to return to the site within two weeks, and previously muted videos featuring UMG artists' songs will be un-muted during that process.

"UMG and TikTok will deliver improved remuneration for UMG’s songwriters and artists, new promotional and engagement opportunities for their recordings and songs and industry-leading protections with respect to generative AI," the deal's announcement reads, while also confirming new tools will be added to TikTok to enhance the artists' monetization opportunities via the platform. "Tools including 'Add to Music App,' enhanced data and analytics, and integrated ticketing capabilities will benefit artists, both financially and in building their global fanbases using TikTok's scale and engaged community, while strengthening online safety protections for artists and their fans."

The move comes three months after a bitter battle between the two entities over the prior licensing deal, which expired in February and resulted in TikTok removing the label's song library from its channels after the two entities failed to come to an agreement over what UMG alleged as unfair pay for its artists' work.

“This new chapter in our relationship with TikTok focuses on the value of music, the primacy of human artistry and the welfare of the creative community. We look forward to collaborating with the team at TikTok to further the interests of our artists and songwriters and drive innovation in fan engagement while advancing social music monetization," said UMG Chairman and CEO, Sir Lucian Grainge, in a press statement about the new deal.

TikTok CEO Shou Chew added: "Music is an integral part of the TikTok ecosystem and we are pleased to have found a path forward with Universal Music Group. We are committed to working together to drive value, discovery and promotion for all of UMG's amazing artists and songwriters, and deepen their ability to grow, connect and engage with the TikTok community."

EW has reached out to UMG representatives for comment.

The development comes during TikTok's ongoing conflict with the United States government, with President Joe Biden signing a bill that could ban the app domestically if ByteDance, the app's parent company, isn't sold. The Senate-passed bill stipulates that ByteDance can no longer control the social media site's algorithm, and that is has nine months to sell the site, with a three-month extension in the circumstance that a sale is in progress, but not completed, by that deadline.

A spokesperson for TikTok previously told EW in a statement that the bill is "unconstitutional," and that the company "will challenge it in court."

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Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.