Taylor Swift gets custom collab with TikTok as UMG battle continues

TikTok has launched a new hub to promote Taylor Swift’s new album where you can earn in-app rewards for completing certain tasks, like following Swift’s account on the platform. The update comes just days after Swift’s music returned to TikTok as the app continues to feud with the singer’s record label, Universal Music Group (UMG).

You can access the hub by searching for The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD) and then clicking on the banner that appears at the top of the results. There, TikTok displays a list of “challenges” to complete, which will let you unlock a TTPD profile frame, among other rewards. TikTok will also give users the chance to show up in its “fan spotlight” on the hub by posting a video using the hashtag for the album.

TikTok isn’t the only app that’s rolling out the red carpet for Swift. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg welcomed Swift to Threads after she made her first post promoting the album. Users also discovered that you can unlock a special TTPD badge on Threads by sharing three of Swift’s posts with friends.

Earlier this year, UMG and TikTok failed to renew their licensing agreement, muting hundreds of songs from artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Drake, Billie Eilish, and even Swift. But Swift’s songs returned to TikTok last week, and it’s still not clear how she managed to get around UMG’s purge. Some of us have theories, though:

A report from Variety suggests that Swift may have struck a separate deal with TikTok since she owns her master recordings. She likely didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to share her new music with her more than 25 million followers on TikTok and everyone else on the app.