Triller, A significant rival to TikTok worldwide is in trouble with the music business on copyright issues. David Israelite, CEO & President of the US-based publishing body NMPA, said: “[Triller] boasts ‘millions of songs at your fingertips,’ however many of those songs have not been appropriately licensed.
“The trend of tech platforms asking for pardon instead of permission to use the songwriter’s work must stop. Triller must legitimize its business by appropriately licensing all music on its platform.” Today (February 5), Universal Music Group has recalled this sentiment and taken down its huge music catalogue from the service. A Universal Music Group spokesperson said: “We will not work with platforms that do not value artists. Triller has shamefully withheld payments owed to our artists and refuses to negotiate a license in the future.
“We have no alternative except to remove our music from Triller, effective immediately.”
Triller announced in June 2018 that it had a deal with Universal Music Group – a licensing agreement that has now, presumably, expired.
In the last quarter of 2020, the media reports that Triller was looking at going incorporated, having bagged a $100 million funding round at a $1.25 billion valuation.
According to CNBC, Triller recently paid $50 million for the rights to the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. fight.
In November last year, Triller made it public on Tuhin Roy’s recruitment in a senior role as Operating Principal. He left his position as SVP, Innovation at Universal to join Triller.
All three major music companies are speculated to have minority stakes in Triller.
Universal Music Group is busy planning its IPO, of course – which parent Vivendi says could happen this year.