Universal Music is preparing to remove millions of songs from TikTok over a payment dispute.
The change would result in the social media platform losing access to music by Taylor Swift, the Weeknd, and Drake.
Universal accused TikTok of "bullying" and stated that it wants to pay a "fraction" of the fee other social media sites charge for access to its extensive repertoire.
TikTok said Universal was promoting a "false narrative and rhetoric."
Music publishers receive royalties when their tracks are played on streaming and social media sites.
Although TikTok, which is owned by Chinese business ByteDance, has over a billion subscribers, it contributes only 1% of Universal's overall earnings, the label stated.
Universal, which owns around one-third of the world's music, stated in an "open letter to the artist and songwriter community" that "ultimately, TikTok is trying to build a music-based business without paying fair value for the music."
Universal also stated that, in addition to advocating for "appropriate compensation for our artists and songwriters," it was concerned with "protecting human artists from the harmful effects of AI and online safety for TikTok's users."
The firm stated that when its deal with TikTok expires on January 31, it will no longer license its content to the platform.
In reaction, TikTok stated: "It is unfortunate and regrettable that Universal Music Group has prioritized its own greed over the interests of their artists and composers.
"Despite Universal's false narrative and rhetoric, the fact is they have chosen to walk away from the powerful support of a platform with well over a billion users that serves as a free promotional and discovery vehicle for their talent," according to the statement.
This is the first time Universal has taken the drastic step of withdrawing its songs from a technological company's platform.
Universal dominates the global recorded music industry. It has the rights to a wide range of artists, from the Beatles, Elton John, and Coldplay to Adele, BTS, and Blackpink.
It also owns Sophie Ellis-Bextor's Murder on the Dancefloor, which has recently gained popularity on TikTok.
In July of last year, Warner Music, the world's third-largest recorded music company, and TikTok announced a new license agreement.
This article was originally published on the BBC.