The Real Reason So Many TikTok Videos Are Being Muted

TikTok users may have noticed that the social media platform has recently been quieter. A sizable swath of pre-existing videos have been suddenly and unceremoniously muted. Additionally, several musicians, such as Taylor Swift, no longer have their songs available for users to include in posts. Fans of the app are undoubtedly frustrated by the change and wondering what prompted it. As it turns out, the mass muting is the result of a major falling out between TikTok and a juggernaut in the music industry.

According to a report from Variety, TikTok failed to renew its licensing agreement with Universal Music Group, a massive record label with many artists under its umbrella, including The Weeknd, Drake, Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, and Post Malone. After negotiations broke down, the corporation pulled its entire music catalog from the app, making the label's songs unavailable — even on TikToks that included them before the licensing arrangement expired. As of the beginning of February 2024, the platform now has a gaping hole in its line-up of songs and artists and risks losing even more, should a new deal not be forged.

The breakdown of TikTok and Universal Music Group's partnership is the end product of an ongoing conflict between the two corporations. In an open letter published just before the licensing expiration deadline, UMG outlined three distinct issues with TikTok as a platform: lackluster compensation arrangements for musicians under the UMG label, accountability and transparency regarding the use of artificial intelligence in TikTok content, and the safety protocols and guidelines for TikTok users. The company also claimed that TikTok's revised licensing agreement offered less to UMG than the previous contract despite the platform's growth.

In the letter, UMG warned TikTok that failure to address these issues would result in the label pulling its catalog from the platform — which is what happened. In response to the open letter, TikTok released a statement accusing the music company of being greedy. "Despite Universal'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," part of it reads.

With tensions boiling over, musicians are feeling the brunt of the fallout. Popular singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, signed to several labels owned by UMG, indicated his concern over the removal of his content from TikTok. "I won't be able to promote my music on TikTok anymore, but luckily, I'm not a TikTok artist, right?" he said in a video on his official TikTok account. "I'll probably be okay, right? I'll probably land on my feet, right? Right?"