A FAMILIAR TUNE: TRILLER SUED AGAIN

The hits keep coming for Triller, which is creating the modern blueprint for how to become persona non grata in the music biz. Sony Music has sued it for copyright infringement, claiming the company has failed to make licensing payments.

Failure to render payment appears to have become the norm judging by Triller's brief history of music partnerships; two weeks ago Verzuz co-founders Timbaland and Swizz Beatz sued the TikTok wannabe for $28m due to missed payments. Last year, UMG ended its affiliation with Triller, pulling its content from the app.

Sony claims that Triller's failure to make payments escalated in March 2022—around the time Timbaland and Beatz allege they stopped receiving payments from the company.

“During the exact same months that Triller was failing to make licensing payments to Sony Music, it went on a purchasing spree,” the filing states. “In the press releases announcing these acquisitions, Triller touted its app as an ‘open garden technology platform for creators’ and highlighted the benefits the acquisitions would have for creators on Triller. All the while, Triller neglected its payment obligations, preventing Sony Music from compensating its creators—the world-class performers and artists who created the sound recordings Triller incorporated into its users’ videos—for Triller’s use of their music.”