Universal Music Group and TikTok announced a renewed global licensing agreement that includes a joint commitment to remove unauthorized AI-generated music from the platform and improve artist and songwriter attribution. UMG said the deal “extends TikTok and UMG’s groundbreaking commitment to AI protections that promote human artistry and ensure platform economics effectively flow through to artists and songwriters.” The renewal marks a significant shift from a bitter public standoff that began in early 2024, when UMG pulled its entire catalog from TikTok — removing millions of tracks from user videos overnight — after accusing the platform of failing to adequately address AI-generated content and compensate rights holders. The two sides eventually reached a deal to restore the catalog later that year; the newly announced renewal formalizes and expands the AI governance terms.
The agreement arrives during a busy week for UMG’s AI licensing activity: the label also struck a deal with Spotify last Thursday allowing fans to create AI-generated covers and remixes of participating artists’ songs as a paid add-on. Both deals reflect UMG’s broader strategy of extracting consent, attribution, and revenue share commitments from platforms rather than pursuing blanket opposition to AI music tools. TikTok, for its part, has been working to demonstrate its value to the music industry ahead of tightening regulations on AI-generated content in the EU and U.S. states. The platform launched its “TikTok for Artists” data and insights platform in June 2025 as part of that effort. Neither company disclosed financial terms of the renewal.