Variety (03/28/24) Aswad, Jem

Universal Music Group (UMG) and Spotify have announced an expansion of their "strategic relationship," but provided few details. Most industry watchers, though, say this is likely the opening of a new maneuver in UMG’s ongoing battle with TikTok. UMG and the China-based platform have been in a standoff over numerous issues, most notably the platform’s low royalty payments and AI policies, since their licensing pact expired earlier in the year. Many artists under recording or publishing contracts with UMG have found their music has been muted on TikTok. The new initiatives do include UMG artists being able to share short pre-release teasers and pre-save opportunities on Spotify. They also vaguely describe "a series of new promotional and social features that will help artists drive interaction and generate excitement around new releases."

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