Elmo learns about trauma dumping, Universal Music & TikTok have beef
+ Lewis Hamilton is moving to Ferrari, & Mark Zuckerberg apologized?
Hope you loved yesterday’s edish!! I know it was a little different, but I was obsessed with that poem and wanted you all to see it 🎀
⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ IN THE NEWS⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖
Universal Music is pulling its music from TikTok
Ironically, I found out about this news while I was on Facetime with
(she says hi) and we literally did a mini Culture Vulture episode for each other about it, so it only feels right that I share it with all of you as well.Essentially, Universal Music Group or UMG (you know, that giant label that represents after artists like Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Olivia Rodrigo, Drake, Adele, Bad Bunny, Billie Eilish, Lana Del Rey etc etc) has announced that it will no longer allow its music on TikTok now that a licensing deal between the two parties has expired.
The reasons they gave in their statement were based on three main issues: “appropriate compensation for our artists and songwriters, protecting human artists from the harmful effects of AI, and online safety for TikTok’s users.” But, in their statement, they suggest that TikTok didn’t really wanna hear about it:
But when we proposed that TikTok takes similar steps as our other platform partners to try to address these issues, it responded first with indifference, and then with intimidation.
As our negotiations continued, TikTok attempted to bully us into accepting a deal worth less than the previous deal, far less than fair market value and not reflective of their exponential growth. How did it try to intimidate us? By selectively removing the music of certain of our developing artists, while keeping on the platform our audience-driving global stars.
TikTok’s tactics are obvious: use its platform power to hurt vulnerable artists and try to intimidate us into conceding to a bad deal that undervalues music and shortchanges artists and songwriters as well as their fans.
We will never do that.
We will always fight for our artists and songwriters and stand up for the creative and commercial value of music.
How did TikTok respond?
WITH THIS!!! THE DRAMA:
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.
Is this really good for artists?
This move DOES potentially leave some room for indie artists (or artists signed to smaller labels) to have a shot at virality, but what does it mean for UMGs artists?
In the opening line of their statement, UMG said that their mission is to help their artists and songwriters “attain their greatest creative and commercial potential,” but I’m unsure whether artists who found such a community (and perhaps their big break) on TikTok feel that way. Take Noah Kahan, a bonafide (and incredibly talented) TikTok success story, for instance:
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This move leaves Universal’s artists in a tight spot. Sure, there’s nothing to stop them from performing their songs on the app, even talking about them, but the fact that they can’t use their own songs as the sound (so people can’t click on it or save it) AND it won’t be able to become a ‘trending’ sound or be suggested for others to use in their videos is going to severely limit the number of people hearing the full song, or looking it up on other streaming platforms. This is probably also going to lead to SOOOO many ‘unnofficial’ versions of all these artists’s songs being used as sounds, which means the artist won’t be getting paid, and UMG will be spending a lot of time filing copyright claims.
At the end of the day, it seems like UMG has decided to sacrifice the discovery and exposure of their artists in the hopes of getting TikTok to fold and pay them more for their music. If it works, great! If it doesn't, well at least Kidsbop and Glee covers will thrive on the platform.
Mark Zuckerberg… apologized?
Yesterday, during a hearing where five tech executives faced four hours of intensive questioning from Congress, a crazy thing happened. Mark Zuckerberg stood up, turned to the parents of victims of alleged online harm, and apologized to them.
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Here’s what he said:
“I’m sorry for everything you have all been through,” Zuckerberg said as parents held up photos of their children who have died following sexual exploitation or harassment via social media. “No one should go through the things that your families have suffered and this is why we invest so much and we are going to continue doing industry-wide efforts to make sure no one has to go through the things your families have had to suffer.”
The other execs in attendance at the hearing, which was called “Big Tech and the Online Child Sexual Exploitation Crisis” were Linda Yaccarino of X (formerly Twitter), Shou Zi Chew of TikTok, Evan Spiegel of Snap, and Jason Citron of Discord.
You can read more about it here.
LEWIS HAMILTON MOVING TO FERRARI IN 2025?
Where are all my F1 fans at??? This is CRAZY news?? Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes driver and seven times world champ) is reported to be making the move to Ferrari and joining Charles Leclerc in 2025. Here’s what we know (via the BBC):
Mercedes F1 staff were told in a meeting with team principal Toto Wolff and technical director James Allison on Thursday afternoon.
The move could be announced officially as early as Thursday evening.
Hamilton, 39, signed a new two-year deal with Mercedes only last summer. His contract is understood to have contained a break clause after one year, which Hamilton has chosen to exercise.
WHAT DO YA RECKON??? Let me know!!
☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★ ON THE WEB ☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★
Elmo asked how we were doing. He probably regrets it now
Gone are the days when someone would ask how you’re going and you’d simply reply with ‘good’ to keep the convo light and swift. Nope, not anymore! These days we (espesh Gen Z) will literally tell you every little thing that’s bugging us (or that we’re loving) and it seems Elmo wasn’t quite prepared for that.
The other day he tweeted:
And the trauma dumping began:
Even Joe Biden joined in:
In the end, it seemed this was all above poor Elmo’s pay grade, because the Sesame Street account had to chime in with some resources:
And Elmo tried to shut down the convo with this:
(◔_◔)✓✘ TODAY’S MUNDANE POLL (◔_◔)✓✘
☆Other good shit☆
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THRILLED TO SEE YOU ADDRESS THE LEWIS HAMILTON NEWS feels like such a weird move for him to me ??
The Hamilton news has me shook! My husband told me earlier and I was not prepared.