Music by artists including Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and The Weeknd could be pulled from TikTok within hours.
It's after talks over a licensing deal broke down between their label - Universal Music - and the social network.
Their current agreement expires today, with Universal Music Group (UMG) saying it'll remove all of its songs from the service.
TikTok has described UMG as being 'greedy'. "It is sad and disappointing that Universal Music Group has put their own greed above the interests of their artists and songwriters."
"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."
However, in an open letter, UMG said its artists and singers helped to make TikTok the success it is.
"As with many other platforms with whom we partner, TikTok’s success as one of the world’s largest social platforms has been built in large part on the music created by our artists and songwriters."
Our core mission is simple: to help our artists & songwriters attain their greatest creative and commercial potential, which is why we must call time out on TikTok.
Learn More: https://t.co/yJDQ7FdgNc pic.twitter.com/Lhluz1ez5H— Universal Music Group (@UMG) January 31, 2024
