What is TikTok's problematic delivery penalty program?
TikTok introduced a new deterrent to combat policy-violating or unauthorized deliveries, effective November 1, 2026, charging labels and distributors per track when problematic deliveries are detected in their catalogs.
This program introduces an additional layer to TikTok’s broader copyright protection and fraud prevention framework, further strengthening their efforts to safeguard intellectual property, address unauthorized content deliveries, and maintain the integrity of the TikTok ecosystem.
As a reminder, the use of unauthorized third party audio or misleading metadata violates UnitedMasters' Terms of Service. With the new TikTok policy, any fees TikTok charges to UnitedMasters in connection with your tracks will be passed along to you because of the content you delivered. Those fees will be withdrawn from your Wallet balance and may result in the removal of your tracks.
If TikTok has not flagged your track as a problematic delivery, these fees will not affect you!
So, we strongly encourage you to review our help center articles related to copyright topics before distributing your release with UnitedMasters. As a reminder, you must distribute content that you own the rights to. If you are using third party material in your release, you must obtain the proper licenses and clearances in order to distribute that material.
If you have questions about what content is acceptable to distribute, please feel free to reach out to us at support@unitedmasters.com.
How will I know if I have received a problematic delivery penalty fee?
If TikTok charges UnitedMasters for a problematic delivery detected on one or more of your tracks, you will see a negative dollar ($) transaction in your Wallet with the label "TikTok Problematic Delivery Penalty Fee."
This transaction will amount to $10.00 USD for each track that generated a fee.
For example, if TikTok charged UnitedMasters for problematic delivery on three of your tracks, you would see a transaction for $30.00 USD the next time we posted royalties.
What if I have questions about which tracks received a problematic delivery penalty fee?
If you have questions about which of your tracks received a penalty fee or the TikTok problematic delivery program in general, you can email support@unitedmasters.com.
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