The timing is advantageous for YouTube, which is making it very clear creators can still use songs that are no longer on TikTok.
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YouTube now lets creators add and remix music videos in their Shorts. In its post announcing the feature, YouTube points out that creators can use music videos from artists like Beyoncé and Maggie Rogers — even as TikTok fights with the record label representing them. The timing suggests it’s a direct response to TikTok’s current music licensing battle.
Earlier this month, TikTok lost tracks from artists like Taylor Swift, Drake, and Olivia Rodrigo due to a dispute with Universal Music Group (UMG). TikTok and UMG never renewed their licensing deal after the music label accused TikTok of trying to “bully” it into a bad deal and claimed the social platform wants to “build a music-based business, without paying fair value for the music.” TikTok users haven’t had access to UMG’s catalog since then, while existing videos using the label’s songs have gone silent.
The new option is a win for YouTube, which currently gives users access to UMG’s libraries as TikTok battles with the label. TikTok currently doesn’t offer the ability to remix music videos either, which gives YouTube an edge over its biggest short-form video rival.
The new remixing option gives creators the ability to make a Short alongside the music video, add the music video as a background, as well as use its sound. Creators can also cut and incorporate clips from the music video in their Shorts.
To access the feature, users can tap the “remix” button directly on a music video and choose how they want to remix it.
