Some of Taylor Swift's songs have been made available again on the Chinese-owned app TikTok after a fallout between the social media platform and Universal Music Group (UMG).
Variety first reported on the matter on Thursday (Apr. 12), saying that the exception was made just a week before the release of Swift's latest album, "The Tortured Poets Department."
However, it remained unclear what arrangement was made for her official music to return to the platform or how long it would remain there.
TikTok creator and Swiftie Madeline Macrae heard the news on Thursday morning and immediately started searching TikTok and Google to confirm the development.
"I'm really excited to have that catalog back, and I don't have to rely on sped-up versions or edited versions," as quoted by Wired. "I can just use her actual music."
According to Variety, some of the songs that were returned to the platform included "You Belong With Me," "Lover," "Cardigan," "Mirrorball," "Fearless (Taylor's Version)," "Cruel Summer," "Cardigan," "Style (Taylor's Version)," "Is It Over Now? (Taylor's Version)," "The Man," and "ME!"
In addition to being excited about using Swift's music in new TikTok videos, Macrae was also grateful for the pop megastar's music to be potentially unmuted for her past videos on TikTok.
"I was going back and forth on deleting them or keeping them, because they look kind of silly muted," she explained.
When UMG's music was initially pulled from TikTok's library in January, many creators were stunned to see their archive of past videos with certain songs go silent overnight.
The BBC reported that the exception was speculative because Swift owns the copyright to her music under the terms of a 2018 deal with Universal or because Swift reached a separate deal with TikTok, which was owned by the Chinese company Bytedance.
While it is uncertain if "The Tortured Poets Department" would be available to use for videos on TikTok, Macrae was hopeful it would be.
"I think this move also just shows the power of Taylor Swift," she added.
Most UMG artists have been absent from TikTok for nearly 10 weeks, greatly shifting the user experience on the social media platform and opening the door for non-UMG artists, like Beyoncé, to go viral with TikTok's algorithm.
However, it remained a mystery when the long-standing contract dispute between TikTok and UMG would be resolved.
As one of the biggest record companies in the world, UMG's removal of songs from TikTok has impacted the careers of many established artists and rising stars.
Multiple artists expressed frustration about the move, often citing disrupted marketing plans or decreased audience reach.
A spokesperson for UMG did not immediately respond to reporters' request for comment.
