Here’s Why Your Favorite Songs are Disappearing from TikTok

Music from A-list artists like Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and the Beatles has been disappearing from TikTok due to an ongoing dispute with Universal Music Group.

One of the world's biggest record labels called out the internet's most popular app after the two entities were unable to reach a licensing agreement concerning low payout for performers, AI-generated recordings being reproduced at a rapid rate without artist permission, and user safety on the app.

UMG shared an open letter that says in part: "We will always fight for our artists and songwriters and stand up for the creative and commercial value of music.... (we) do not underestimate what this will mean to our artists and their fans who, unfortunately, will be among those subjected to the near-term consequences of TikTok’s unwillingness to strike anything close to a market-rate deal and meaningfully address its obligations as a social platform. But we have an overriding responsibility to our artists to fight for a new agreement under which they are appropriately compensated for their work, on a platform that respects human creativity, in an environment that is safe for all, and effectively moderated."

TikTok's response was concise: "It is sad and disappointing that Universal Music Group has put their own greed above the interests of their artists and songwriters... 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 'artist-first' agreements with every other label and publisher. Clearly, Universal's self-serving actions are not in the best interests of artists, songwriters and fans."

In summation: UMG claims that TikTok needs to pay more for usage of their artists’ music in videos. TikTok claims that the artists are profiting from their presence in its song library, which has been pivotal for music discovery since the app launched in 2016 and surged in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The contract between the two companies expired on January 31st, 2024. Since then, Universal Music Group has been pulling songs from its artists - both current signings and previous releases - off of TikTok, leaving silence on thousands of past clips and rendering users unable to use them in new content.

We'll see how long the legal standoff lasts. If an agreement is not reached, rock artists affected will include U2, Sting, Beastie Boys, Blink-182, Pearl Jam, Sleep Token and many more. In fact, Billboard reports that at least 17 out of the top 50 TikTok tracks have already disappeared from the app's library as of this publishing.

The silver lining that could come out of all this is that independent artists will get more attention as digital creators search for alternatives to UMG songs. With many mainstream options taking a backseat for the time being, it's an opportunity for indie acts to get discovered if they're savvy enough to work a song of theirs into trending territory on the app.

Many albums that turn 20 in 2024 still sound as fresh today as when they were first released two decades ago.

In 2004, rock fans saw some of their favorite bands take significant risks. Frankly, you can't talk about this year without talking about Green Day. Their seventh studio album, American Idiot, was an absolute triumph, and it helped solidify the band as one of the best bands of their generation. American Idiot was a critical and commercial success. Not only has it sold over 16 million copies worldwide. On top of that, the album won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album, with "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" also winning the Grammy for Record of the Year.

The early aughts saw a new resurgence of the "supergroup." One of the best to emerge during that time was Velvet Revolver. The band was fronted by Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland. Completing the lineup was rhythm guitarist Dave Kushner and notable Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum. Their debut album, Contraband, would go double platinum in the United States.

The alt. rock world saw three notable debuts in 2004. Arcade Fire released Funeral, while Franz Ferdinand dropped their self-titled LP. The biggest release, however, came from The Killers. Their debut album, Hot Fuss, was released in June, and it features "Somebody Told Me," "Smile Like You Mean It," "All These Things That I've Done" and "Mr. Brightside."

The latter track is so ubiquitous that a Dec. 2023 piece published by The New York Times stated, "If boomers gave the masses 'Don’t Stop Believin',' millennials can claim 'Mr. Brightside' as the generation’s official entry into that canon: a song that gets everybody at the bar shout-singing along.

Keep scrolling to see other albums that turn 20 in 2024!

Green Day's American Idiot was released on September 21, 2004. The rock opera won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album and Record of the Year for "Boulevard of Broken Dreams." The album also features "Holiday," "Wake Me Up When September Ends" and the title track.

U2's How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb was released on November 22, 2004. The album features "Vertigo," "City of Blinding Lights," "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" and "All Because of You."

Arcade Fire's debut album Funeral was released on September 14, 2004. The album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in 2005. It features "Rebellion (Lies)" and "Wake Up."

Hot Fuss, The Killers' debut album, was released on June 7, 2004. The album featured notable tracks "Somebody Told Me," "Mr. Brightside," "Smile Like You Mean It" and "All These Things That I've Done."

My Chemical Romance's second studio album, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, was released on June 8, 2004. The album features "Helena," "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)," "Thank You for the Venom" and "The Ghost of You."

Slipknot's third studio album, Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses), was released on May 25, 2004. The album features "Duality," "Vermillion," "The Nameless" and "Before I Forget."

Franz Ferdinand's self-titled debut was released on February 9, 2004. The album features "Darts of Pleasure," The Dark of the Matinee," "This Fire" and "Take Me Out."

Brian Wilson's fifth studio album, Brian Wilson Presents Smile, was released on September 28, 2004. The album found Wilson resisting the abandoned 1967 Beach Boys album Smile.

Aerosmith's Honkin' on Bobo was released on March 30, 2004. The album is mostly blues covers and one original song, "The Grind."

Contraband was the debut album of supergroup Velvet Revolver. Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland fronted the group. It also featured Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum, along with rhythm guitarist Dave Kushner.

Within a Mile of Home is Flogging Molly's third studio album. Released on September 14, 2004, the album features "Screaming at the Wailing Wall," "Tobacco Island," "Whistles the Wind" and "The Seven Deadly Sins."

Collision Course is an EP by Linkin Park and Jay-Z. The album features various mashups of Linkin Park and Jay-Z songs, notably "Numb/Encore."