Pulse Ghana is the most followed news and entertainment platform, informing and engaging young Ghanaians round the clock, providing updates by the hour.

Pulse Ghana

Sad news for African content creators, especially fans of Stonebwoy and other African musicians, as Universal Music Group(UMG) will stop licensing its music library to TikTok after both companies failed to reach an agreement over several issues.

Stonebwoy and 20 African musicians whose music could disappear from TikTok - here’s why | Pulse Ghana

Dorcas Agambila

Effective today, January 31, 2024, any song under the Universal Music Group label may no longer be accessible on the widely used video-sharing platform. Existing videos featuring UMG's music are now at risk of being either muted or removed.

The rift between TikTok and UMG stems from their inability to strike a new deal regarding the compensation for the use of UMG's music on the platform.

In a statement, Universal decided to pull its entire song catalog from TikTok, citing three critical issues:

<ol><li>Compensation dispute: UMG demands appropriate compensation for its artists and songwriters.</li><li>AI impact on artists: Concerns about protecting human artists from the potentially harmful effects of artificial intelligence (AI).</li><li>Online safety: Ensuring the safety of TikTok's users.</li></ol>

According to the statement, UMG alleged that TikTok is not paying a fair value for its music and accused the platform of attempting to build a music-based business without adequately compensating artists and songwriters.

UMG further accused TikTok of bullying and intimidating them into accepting an unfavorable deal and not respecting their copyright. They highlight that TikTok contributes only about 1% to their total revenue, underscoring the minimal compensation the platform provides for its extensive music library.

In response, TikTok vehemently denied UMG's allegations, expressing disappointment at UMG for prioritizing greed over the interests of artists and songwriters. TikTok argued that it has reached artist-first agreements with every other label and publisher, and UMG's actions are not in the best interests of the artists, songwriters, and fans.

TikTok also defended its role as a free promotional and discovery vehicle for UMG's talent, emphasizing its billion-strong user base that supports and loves music.

The loss of access to UMG’s content library is likely a major setback for TikTok content creators, including Stonebwoy and other African artiste's fans, who are now facing limited music options on TikTok.

They risk missing out on viral trends and challenges associated with UMG's songs, such as "Apotheke" and "Into the Future." Favorite videos featuring UMG's music may also be muted or deleted from TikTok, leaving the digital content creation community grappling with the fallout of this high-profile compensation dispute.

UMG is the largest record label in the world with a stable number of international and African artists.

Below are the list of African artists whose songs are about to disappear from TikTok as clock stops on Universal Music deal renewal;

<ol><li>Stonebwoy - Ghana</li><li>Youssou N'Dour - Senegal</li><li>Mr Eazi - Nigeria</li><li>Yemi Alade - Nigeria</li><li>Sauti Sol - Kenya</li><li>DJ Arafat - Côte d'Ivoire</li><li>Toofan- Togo</li><li>Locko - Cameroon</li><li>Tenor - Cameroon</li><li>Charlotte Dipanda</li><li>Mink's - Cameroon</li><li>Magasco - Cameroon</li><li>Pit Baccardi - Cameroon</li><li>Mimie - Cameroon</li><li>Kiff No Beat - Côte d'Ivoire</li><li>WurlD - Nigeria</li><li>Vanessa Mdee - Tanzanian</li><li>Tekno&nbsp;- Nigeria</li><li>Nasty C - South Africa</li><li>SZA - South Africa</li><li>Rophnan Nuri Muzeyin - Ethiopian musician</li></ol>

Stonebwoy and 20 African musicians whose music could disappear from TikTok - here’s why

Business

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Politics

Local

Filla

World

Football

Ghana Premier League

Black Stars

Celebrities

Music

Movies

Fashion

Beauty & Health

Relationships & Weddings

Food & Travel

Domestic

International 

Explore categories

The Pulse Influencer Awards has been set up to recognize and highlight bright lights in the influencer space in Africa who are building active engaged communities around their niche or craft.

Influencer Awards

Company Pages

Breaking News & Top Stories | Pulse Ghana

Video

Checkout our authors for the latest content across entertainment, sports, business and more. Be first to receive exclusive updates with your free subscription straight to your phone | Pulse Ghana

Authors | Pulse Ghana

| Pulse Ghana

Read the latest news across entertainment, sports, business and more. Be first to receive exclusive updates with your free subscription straight to your phone | Pulse Ghana

Search for the latest content across entertainment, sports, business and more. Be first to receive exclusive updates with your free subscription straight to your phone | Pulse Ghana

Search Results | Pulse Ghana

Watch the latest videos across entertainment, sports, business and more. Be first to receive exclusive updates with your free subscription straight to your phone | Pulse Ghana