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Universal Music starts pulling songs from TikTok over licensing negotiations

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Universal Music starts pulling songs from TikTok over licensing negotiations

Universal Music Group (UMG), the music powerhouse behind some of your favourite artists like Wizkid, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, and others, has pulled the plug on TikTok.

In a recent showdown between the global music giant and the popular social media platform, TikTok is now left with a deafening silence as UMG’s music began to vanish from the app on Thursday morning.

The drama unfolded just a day before UMG’s licensing contract with TikTok was set to expire. UMG didn’t hold back, and they made their dissatisfaction public with a fiery open letter. They accused TikTok of not offering fair compensation for their music and allowing AI-generated tunes to flood the platform, which, in turn, diminished the earnings of real, hardworking musicians.

TikTok didn’t take this lying down and responded with strong words, accusing UMG of prioritising their own greed over the interests of their artists and songwriters. They pointed out that UMG decided to walk away from a platform with well over a billion users, a platform that had been instrumental in promoting and discovering their talent for free.

The fallout was swift and brutal. Recordings by UMG artists vanished from TikTok’s music library, and existing videos using UMG tracks had their audio silenced entirely. Users were left frustrated, unable to add Universal songs to their new videos.

For example, a video posted by a Nigerian influencer featuring a hit track from Burna Boy, a UMG artist, was suddenly silent, with a message that read, “This sound isn’t available.” Similar messages popped up on countless other videos, all citing “sound removed due to copyright restrictions.”

Even the official profiles of UMG artists like Burna Boy saw their music options reduced to a mere handful of brief snippets, leaving fans disappointed and confused.

As of now, it’s unclear how many videos have been affected by this showdown, but the Nigerian TikTok community is feeling the impact. Some videos with UMG music remain unaffected, but the tension between UMG and TikTok lingers.

Representatives from both UMG and TikTok have remained tight-lipped about their negotiations or the reasons behind this music withdrawal. However, one thing is certain: UMG’s bold move has sent shockwaves through the music industry. TikTok, with its massive user base, has become an essential platform for music promotion in Nigeria, helping emerging and established artists alike.

The battle between UMG and TikTok is far from over, and music lovers in Nigeria will be watching closely to see how this drama unfolds in the coming days.

Entertainment

Chris Brown opens up on dating multiple ladies

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Chris Brown, the American singer, has revealed that he is in a polygamous relationship.

Brown, in a YouTube live with Kai Cenat, the US content creator, addressed questions about his personal life.

When asked if he was in a relationship, the 35-year-old Virginia-born artiste replied, “I am in multiple”.

Cenat sought clarification, asking, “Like more than one girlfriend?” Brown responded, “Something like that”.

The award-winning singer also emphasized the importance of transparency and honesty in maintaining his polygamous relationships.

“Just keep it a hundred. Be honest,” he added.

This is not the first time Brown would be addressing polygamy.

In an interview with Hot 97, the singer opened up about the challenges of maintaining a monogamous relationship due to his celebrity status and constant exposure to women.

“The hardest part is trying to keep a monogamous relationship, but still wanting to be the 25-year-old sex symbol,” he said.

“You go to shows. You might walk by somebody’s room, and you might see about six or seven of them thangs. And you’re like, dang, I just want to slide in there and have a couple drinks real quick and I’ll tell my girl about it later.”

Born Christopher Maurice Brown, the songwriter is often referred to by his contemporaries as the “king of R&B”.

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Bimpe Akintunde warns Nigerians against scammers impersonating her on WhatsApp

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Bimpe Akintunde, the Nollywood actress, has raised an alarm over a fake WhatsApp account created in her name to scam unsuspecting individuals.

The film star took to her Instagram story to share screenshots of the impersonator, posing as her to solicit money from her followers.

Akintunde expressed her frustration and disappointment, cursing the scammer for attempting to profit from her hard work. She warned the public to be cautious of the impersonator on any media platform.

The actress urged her fans to help report the scammer’s WhatsApp and bank accounts.

She also prayed that God should keep such fraudulent individuals away from her and her loved ones.

“What a morning. Tell me how this country wants to be great, when a lot of people are struggling, working hard to build a name and brand, and boom, one person will take their pictures and name only to be defrauding people up and down,” she wrote.

“Who gave birth to such a child? Useless children, may God keep them away from us.

“Please disregard any message from anyone, either in your DM or WhatsApp, asking you to send money.

“Please, it not me. I do not own this above number. I would appreciate it if we could find a way to report both the WhatsApp and the Opay account.”

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Entertainment

Davido advises black Americans not to relocate to Nigeria, says ‘the economy is in shambles’

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Davido, the Afrobeats star, has advised black Americans against relocating to Nigeria, citing the country’s economic challenges.

In an appearance on The Big Homies House podcast, the singer shared his thoughts on the struggles bedeviling Nigeria, stating, “It is not cool back home. The economy is in shambles”.

Davido also mentioned Nigeria’s struggles with bad leadership, a high exchange rate, and skyrocketing oil prices, which are negatively impacting the country.

“It is not cool back home. The economy is in shambles. I do my part, I am an ambassador. When I go home and I am filming, I am no going to show the bad parts,” he said.

“I am talking about the situation in the country. Now the exchange rate is messed up, a lot of stuffs are not going well.

“The economy is just not good enough. The oil price is too high. Imagine the country that produces oil, paying more for it than a country importing oil.”

Despite the challenges, Davido emphasised the entertainment industry’s positive impact on Africa’s global image.

“Regardless, entertainment is one of the thing that has made Africa look good. We do not have the best leader, that is a fact,” he said.

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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