Inalis na rin sa social media app na TikTok ang mga kanta ng OPM singer na sina JK Labajo at Zack Tabudlo.
Ito'y matapos hindi magkasundo ang Universal Music Group (UMG) at pamunuan ng TikTok sa licensing agreement para sa music royalties o bayad sa paggamit ng mga kanta ng artists ng UMG.
Kabilang sa mga kantang muted na ngayon sa TikTok ay ang hit song na "Ere" ni JK at "Yakap" ni Zack.
Read: JK Labajo reveals hit song "Ere" inspired by breakup with Maureen Wroblewitz
Bagamat hindi pa nabubura ang isang version ng "Ere" na ipinost ng Island Records Philippines, ang music label na nasa ilalim ng UMG Philippines na nagma-manage kay JK, ang original song recording naman nito ay hindi na magagamit sa nasabing social media platform.
Ganito rin ang nangyari sa official recording ng viral na kanta ni Zack, ang "Yakap."
Read: Zack Tabudlo thrilled over ENHYPEN's Heeseung cover of his song: "What an honor."
Ang mga kanta nina JK at Zack ay parehong nasa pangangalaga ng UMG Philippines, ang local arm ng Universal Music Group.
Noong January 31, 2024, nag-expire ang kontrata ng TikTok at UMG.
Sa isang official statement, sinabi ng UMG na bumubuo diumano ang TikTok ng music-based business na hindi binabayaran ng tamang halaga ang nagagamit na music sa nasabing social media app.
Bahagi ng pahayag ng UMG (published as is), "With respect to the issue of artist and songwriter compensation, TikTok proposed paying our artists and songwriters at a rate that is a fraction of the rate that similarly situated major social platforms pay.
"Today, as an indication of how little TikTok compensates artists and songwriters, despite its massive and growing user base, rapidly rising advertising revenue and increasing reliance on music-based content, TikTok accounts for only about 1% of our total revenue.
"Ultimately TikTok is trying to build a music-based business, without paying fair value for the music.
"On AI, TikTok is allowing the platform to be flooded with AI-generated recordings—as well as developing tools to enable, promote and encourage AI music creation on the platform itself – and then demanding a contractual right which would allow this content to massively dilute the royalty pool for human artists, in a move that is nothing short of sponsoring artist replacement by AI."
Mabilis naman na bumuwelta ang TikTok. Anila, mali ang akusasyong ibinabato sa kanila ng UMG.
Ayon sa TikTok, ang UMG ang lumayo sa TikTok, kahit mayroon naman silang kasunduan sa pagitan ng music label at publishers kung saan nakasaad ditong uunahin nila ang kapakanan ng mga artist.
Sabi nila, "It is sad and disappointing that Universal Music Group has put their own greed above the interests of their artists and songwriters.
"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.
"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."
Samantala, bukod kina JK at Zack, muted na rin ang TikTok videos na gumamit ng mga kanta nina Taylor Swift, Adele, Drake, Olivia Rodrigo, at K-pop superstars BTS.
Read: Zack Tabudlo overjoyed at BTS's Jungkook playing his song: "I can die now with peace."