Sound the Alarm: TikTok Reunites Muted Videos With Their Long-Lost Jams

No, you're not losing your mind! Thanks to a new agreement made between Universal Music Group, UMG, and TikTok, your previously muted TikTok videos will no longer muted.

On Thursday, the wildly popular social media platform and UMG reached a new licensing agreement months after the fallout began. Now, music by artists under UMG, including Drake, Eminem, Taylor Swift, and Lady Gaga will once again be available for use in your TikTok videos.

"The joint agreement marks a new era of strategic collaboration between the two organizations, built on a shared commitment to help UMG's artists and songwriters achieve their creative and commercial potential," a press release issued by TikTok reads.

"By harnessing TikTok's best-in-class technology, marketing, and promotional capabilities, UMG and TikTok will deliver improved remuneration for UMG's songwriters and artists, new promotional and engagement opportunities for their recordings and songs, and industry-leading protections with respect to generative AI."

Both UMG and TikTok's CEOs also shared statements regarding the agreement.

UMG Chairman and CEO Lucian Grange shared, "This new chapter in our relationship with TikTok focuses on the value of music, the primacy of human artistry, and the welfare of the creative community. We look forward to collaborating with the team at TikTok to further the interests of our artists and songwriters and drive innovation in fan engagement while advancing social music monetization."

TikTok CEO Shou Chew added, "Music is an integral part of the TikTok ecosystem and we are pleased to have found a path forward with Universal Music Group. We are committed to working together to drive value, discovery, and promotion for all of UMG's amazing artists and songwriters, and deepen their ability to grow, connect, and engage with the TikTok community."

Popular TikTok creator, @Pearlmania500, who shares news stories and information, recently informed his 2.7 million followers that TikTok videos are about to be unmuted.

"UMG, Universal Music Group and TikTok have finally reached an agreement," he said enthusiastically.

"Back in February, millions of TikTok videos were muted, the sound was removed from all the different Universal Music Group artists who had their sounds here on TikTok. Well, some time has passed, some agreements have happened, some legislation has gone through, some things have changed and now UMG and TikTok have finally reached that agreement, meaning that all of Taylor Swift's discography and all of her songs are coming back. All of Lady Gaga's coming back. Bob Dylan music is here perfectly in time for some really choice edits that we actually need."

He concluded his video by saying what many TikTokers are probably thinking. "We don't have to pretend that the karaoke versions of songs are good anymore."

Is your video still muted? Don't worry! He explained that "slowly over time" the sounds from the previously muted videos will return and start showing up in the search bar again.

Pearlmania500's video received more than 2.8 million views and thousands and thousands of comments quickly.

Some viewers pointed out something many TikTok creators did when the songs disappeared.

"Only after people have changed their audios," they wrote. Another person added, "After I changed all my muted videos."

Others are just excited about the popular songs returning to the app.

"Finally something good," one person shared. One other said, "People who were too lazy to unlike and unsave edits finally win."

As word is getting out and TikTokers are excited to hear their favorite songs unmuted, creators are sharing this information with their followers.

TikTok content creator Evan also shared the news that's music to many people's ears.

"TikTok and UMG have finally settled their beef and this is huge news," he said in a recently shared video. "As we all know, a couple of months back, TikTok and UMG had a little bit of beef and they couldn't come to an agreement for UMG's music to be used on TikTok, which resulted in tens of millions of videos to be muted on TikTok."

Viewers took to the comments to share their thoughts on the news.

"That’s cuz UMG was going bankrupt without TikTok," one person wrote. Another added, "TikTok finally bringing back music before it was banned."

In early February after millions of videos suddenly went silent, content creators shared the news about what was going on and why so many videos were suddenly muted.

@SocialsbyNaomi shared the information on February 1 about why the videos were being muted.

"As of today, February 1, any video on the platform that has music added to it is going to be muted," she said. "Universal Music Group is a company TikTok has used for its music for years and their licensing agreement ended today."

She explained that negotiations didn't go well between the two companies so the contract ended abruptly, muting millions of videos.

Many of her followers commented that their videos were suddenly muted and how frustrating this is for content creators.

"I’m so mad this has affected quite a few of my videos," one person commented. Another said, "I just found out so many of mine were muted today. I was panicking trying to figure this out. This is so messed up."