Dan Runcie

that they can get what's theirs.

And when there are disputes like these that we've seen with many of the technology platforms and music, if they can't find a solution, they will pull their music off of it.

We saw back in 2009 when Warner Music Group had pulled its music temporarily off of YouTube and then eventually put it back.

eight or nine months later.

And this is a similar thing that happened with TikTok.

Ironically, with the TikTok Universal decision, they were at odds and separate, but it actually wasn't until Taylor Swift, who was in the middle of promoting her Eros tour, pushed it and put her music back on TikTok herself because she had a clause in her contract, which said that she could do that.

And then as a result, well, when the biggest artist on your label is then making a move to do that,

It hurt some of the leverage that Universal Music Group had had at the time.

So shortly after, they ended up agreeing to a deal with TikTok to bring their music back onto the platform.

It's a highlight of the different times that we're in right now because she's absolutely right.

Drake, her, Lady Gaga, plenty of other mainstream artists have dropped big albums and big singles and put money and marketing behind those big singles.

But what ends up catching on can feel quite random.

And this is truly the first time in music, despite all of the challenges that music has had, whether it's back in the Napster days or CDs or transitioning, that this has been a problem.

Because music has always had a closer channel to the levers, essentially allowing them to determine which artists were able to thrive.

And then knowing that, okay, if you put money towards something, and if you put more money towards something than less, you can have a clear idea of what is going to pop and what isn't.

And this is the first time that there is not a true correlation with that.

Sure, there still is some relationship there where there are some songs that break through.

But what she's referring to is that you can still put the same amount of marketing spend and not necessarily have that same impact even for a proven star.

So it is rough.

it is definitely tough times.