• Dlala Thukzin's hit song iPlan is said to be one of the songs removed from TikTok
• This comes after Universal Music Group began challenging the royalties their artists receive from the popular video-sharing platform
• Thukzin's manager, Lindokuhle Buthelezi, aka Dogg DBN, spoke to Briefly News about the sudden removal of the song

Dlala Thukzin is one of the local artists whose song has been removed from TikTok over a music rights battle. iPlan has been taken down from the video-sharing platform by Universal Music Group over the royalties their artists receive.

Dlala Thukzin's song scrapped from TikTok

TikTok and Universal Music Group are said to be at the centre of a music rights war. This follows some failed negotiations over UMG artists' revenue.

According to ZiMoja, the music powerhouses are debating the royalties artists receive from TikTok when their songs are used on the popular platform known for its popular dance challenges.

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iPlan, among other UMG-licenced songs, has reportedly been scrapped from TikTok as Universal battles to help artists get a bigger slice of the cake.

The song's music video made a home run days after the premiere and garnered over a million views. It has also been one of the most-played songs on TikTok.

Lindokuhle Buthelezi addresses iPlan's removal from TikTok

Speaking to Briefly News, Dlala Thukzin's manager, Lindokuhle Buthelezi (Dogg DBN), shared his and Thukzin's reactions to the removal:

"He was shocked because the song is still climbing through TikTok and across the world.

"I'm not sure what the status of the removal is because none of us were informed of the sudden pull-out, but I’m pretty sure both companies will reach a settlement very soon because it will affect them both almost equally.

"UMG has one of the biggest music catalogues on earth. But on the other hand, TikTok is the number one music discovery and promotion engine on earth."

Buthelezi went on to speak on the rights war, saying it was nothing more than corporate disputes:

"For me, it’s just corporates doing what corporates do best, and that is putting profits before people. Nothing new to see here.

"They must just stop playing corporate games and reload the music. It’s unhealthy for the culture. Yes, it’s business, but we all serve people; people should come first in such cases."

Prince Kaybee pushes iPlan for Song of the Year

In an earlier report, Briefly News shared online reactions to Prince Kaybee declaring Dlala Thukzin's iPlan the 2023 Song of the Year:

"Song of the Year, without a doubt, goes to Durban again."

The track became such a huge hit in Zimbabwe that fans crossed over playing it in a stadium.