Not only Taylor Swift, but also the world’s most prominent artists are making a comeback to TikTok

Adele performs at BST Hyde Park in in London in July<strong> </strong>2022.

Adele performs at BST Hyde Park in in London in July 2022.
Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

Ariana Grande, Adele and Rihanna will soon be back on TikTok, joining Taylor Swift after a deal with Universal Music Group ended a feud that saw one of the world’s biggest record labels pull its music from the video platform.

The licensing agreement, announced Wednesday, means that within one to two weeks TikTok’s 1 billion-plus users will be able to use music by UMG artists in their videos. All videos featuring Universal artists’ music that had previously been muted because of copyright violations will be unmuted.

Michael Nash, chief digital officer at UMG, said the new relationship was “predicated on significant advancements in commercial and marketing opportunities as well as protections provided to our industry-leading roster on their platform.”

The companies did not disclose any financial details but said the deal would “deliver improved remuneration for UMG’s songwriters and artists,” including through “integrated ticketing capabilities,” TikTok’s “growing e-commerce capabilities,” and a tool that enables users to add music from TikTok videos to their preferred music apps.

“We are pleased to have found a path forward with Universal Music Group,” TikTok CEO Shou Chew said in a joint statement.

“We think this announcement is a clear positive for UMG,” UBS analysts wrote in a note Thursday. They added that under a “conservative assumption” the new deal could double Universal’s revenue from TikTok to €200 million ($214 million), amounting to 2% of the company’s total revenue.

Universal pulled its music off TikTok in February after the two companies failed to reach an agreement on royalty fees for Universal’s artists, who also include Lady Gaga, Coldplay and Justin Bieber. At the time, Universal accused TikTok of “trying to build a music-based business without paying fair value for the music.”

The company also took issue with TikTok’s encouragement of AI-generated recordings, which it said would “massively dilute the royalty pool for human artists.”

Under the terms of the new deal, the companies have committed to “work together to ensure AI development across the music industry will protect human artistry and the economics that flow to those artists and songwriters.”

“TikTok is also committed to working with UMG to remove unauthorized AI-generated music from the platform, as well as (working on) tools to improve artist and songwriter attribution,” the statement added.

Enter your email to receive CNN’s nightcap newsletter.

Last month, Swift’s music reappeared on TikTok ahead of the release of her latest album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” although the two companies did not disclose under what terms.

Related Posts

Department of Justice Releases Additional Epstein Files Including Previously Unseen Photograph from Financier’s Estate.

The U.S. Department of Justice continued its mandated disclosures related to the investigations into Jeffrey Epstein on December 19, 2025, releasing thousands of documents and hundreds of…

Conan O’Brien Allegedly Advised Guests Not to Involve Police After Nick Reiner’s Behavior at Holiday Party Preceding Tragedy.

The events leading to the deaths of filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, photographer Michele Singer Reiner, on December 14, 2025, have drawn increased scrutiny to a…

Mother of Suspect in Anna Kepner Cruise Ship Death Waited 32 Hours to Notify Ex-Husband, Cited Concerns Over Current Marriage.

Brevard County, Florida, court proceedings in an unrelated custody dispute have brought additional details to light regarding the death of 18-year-old Anna Kepner aboard a Carnival cruise…

Bruised, Exhausted, and Still Smiling — Keanu Reeves Ignored the Chaos of the John Wick Set to Share a Quiet, Tender Moment With a Dog 🥹🐾🎬

In the high-octane world of Hollywood action films, where explosions roar and bullets fly, few sights are as disarmingly pure as this: Keanu Reeves, drenched in sweat…

Light the Cigarette, Open the Gates — Constantine 2 Brings Keanu Reeves Back to the DC Universe in 2026 🚬👿

Light a cigarette, mutter a Latin incantation, and brace for impact—John Constantine is back, and Hell’s never been hungrier. After nearly two decades of fan fervor, relentless…

👑💥 The Empire Survives. The Architect Doesn’t. — Maxton Hall Season 3 (2026) Trailer Forces the Heir Into an Impossible Choice: Protect the Legacy or Burn It Down 🔥😱

Prime Video has unleashed a trailer that’s sending shockwaves through the fandom. On December 21, 2025 — exactly one day after Season 2’s explosive finale aired —…