Tick Tock: Will Your Fave Beats Survive the Universal Music Armageddon?

Are your TikTok dance routines about to get a lot quieter? In what might be a major blow to bathroom mirror performers everywhere, TikTok and Universal Music Group (UMG) are locked in a dramatic toe-to-toe, with a sword of Damocles dangling over our heads. UMG, the music titan behind stars like Taylor Swift and Drake, is playing hardball, possibly yanking its vast catalog off the world’s biggest short-form video platform. Imagine trying to Lip Sync Battle without your favorite Swiftie anthem – tragic, right?

TikTok, not to be out-dramatized, is holding its ground amid panic from influencers who could see their background beats go *poof*. It could all come down to the wire, as negotiations simmer in the final countdown. Rumor has it, even the TikTok chefs trying to harmonize their chopping to “Hotline Bling” are sweating. Who will emerge victorious in the battle of the social media titans? Place your bets, folks. And maybe start looking up acapella versions of your playlist, just in case.