Users and content creators of TikTok who also happen to be fans of Stonebwoy and some other African and international may face a hard time as some songs by their favourite artistes may be pulled from the app.

TikTok, the popular video-sharing app, is at risk of losing millions of songs from its platform after failing to reach a new deal with Universal Music Group (UMG), the world's largest music company.

UMG, which represents artists such as Mr Eazi, Stonebwoy, Yemi Alade, Nasty C, Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, and Drake, accused TikTok of trying to pay a fraction of the fair value for its music and of bullying and intimidating it during negotiations.

UMG said it would stop licensing its music to TikTok when its current contract expires on January 31, meaning that TikTok users would no longer be able to use songs from UMG's vast catalogue to create and share videos.

UMG also expressed its concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence and online safety on its artists and songwriters.

TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance and has more than one billion users worldwide, responded by saying that UMG was putting its own greed above the interests of its talent.

It said that it was sad and disappointing that UMG had chosen to walk away from a platform that serves as a free promotional and discovery vehicle for them.

UMG is the dominant player in the global music industry, with a market share of about 33% and a roster of stars that includes the Beatles, Elton John, Coldplay, Adele, BTS, and Blackpink.

In contrast, Warner Music Group, the world's third-largest music company, signed a new licensing deal with TikTok in July last year, allowing its artists and songwriters to benefit from the exposure and revenue generated by the app.

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