Photo Credit: UnitedMasters
After stating it would not renew its current agreement with independent collective Merlin, TikTok has forged forward with a direct deal with UnitedMasters—a Merlin member.
The multi-year agreement will provide TikTok with UnitedMasters’ full, expansive catalog of music while providing additional commercial opportunities for UnitedMasters artists through TikTok’s Commercial Music Library.
TikTok announced it would not seek to re-negotiate its Merlin deal, which expires on October 31. This partnership with UnitedMasters is one of the first inked with a Merlin member outside of the now-expiring deal. TikTok says it chose not to re-negotiate its licensing agreements with Merlin because of past “operational challenges with Merlin where music that is not quality controlled for copyright is delivered.”
“Our partnership with TikTok provides UnitedMasters artists unparalleled access to a vast global audience, while TikTok creators and users gain early exposure to some of the most impactful independent music today,” states Steve Stoute, Founder & CEO of UnitedMasters. “TikTok recognizes the power of music and creativity, which is why we are excited to formalize this partnership.”
TikTok says it shares the vision with UnitedMasters that commercial use of music on platforms like TikTok offer significant revenue and promotional opportunities for artists. TikTok’s commercial music library gives artists unparalleled access to the 70+ million brands on the platform, creating net new revenue and promotional streams for artists. Meanwhile, indie collective IMPALA says the split with Merlin is an attempt to pay artists less while striking deals individually, calling it a ‘smoke screen.’
“TikTok’s ability to propel a track to success has been demonstrated time and time again, as songs that find popularity on the platform cross over and experience mainstream success on the charts,” Stoute adds. “Thanks to this partnership, I look forward to watching our artists continue to build their careers on TikTok and beyond.”
TikTok was instrumental in propelling Chilean artist FloyyMenor (a UnitedMasters artist) to the top of the charts with the reggaetón hit “Gata Only,” which has gained over a billion streams since being released in February 2024. Floyy is currently working on an EP, with plans to record his debut album in the United States.