Universal Music, Triller strike renewed licensing deal

The deal follows UMG’s abrupt exit from Triller in February, after it accused Triller of withholding payments owed to its artists.

The new agreement covers recorded music and publishing. Through the deal, Triller’s users will gain access to UMG's full catalogue of music from the company’s record labels and recording artists, as well as the songwriters and catalogues represented by Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG)

“We are pleased to announce our renewed agreement with UMG and our new pact with UMPG,” Triller chairperson Bobby Sarnevesht said. “Triller has become one of the most important platforms in music today, and these agreements ensure that artists and songwriters across Universal Music Group have full access to the global Triller ecosystem.”

UMG executive vice-president of digital business development and strategy Jonathan Dworkin said: “We're pleased to have a deal with Triller that embraces the importance of compensating our artists, especially given the tremendous value music generates across their platform. With this agreement, UMG continues to expand the universe of licensed social media platforms that allow fans to legitimately create and share content, while also growing an important new source of revenue for our artists.”

The deal adds to Triller’s growing partnerships. In February, the company inked a global licensing deal with TikTok, and earlier this month it partnered with music sharing and discovery platform SoundCloud, giving SoundCloud artists access to the short-form, video-sharing app.

Triller is a global social media and music discovery platform that allows users to create professional-looking videos in a matter of seconds. The app has amassed more than 300 million downloads, with celebrities like Alicia Keys, Cardi B, Marshmello, Roddy Ricch, Eminem, Burna Boy, Nasty C and Sauti Sol regularly using the app to create their own music videos.