YG Marley's Hit Song Gets 700 Million Views on TikTok But Only Paid for One View
A viral TikTok video featuring YG Marley's 'Praise Jah in the Moonlight' by Australian model Leah Halton has amassed over 700 million views, but due to TikTok's payment structure, the artist only receives royalties for a single view.
TikTok's unique payout model bases compensation on the number of different videos using a track, not the total views those videos accumulate. Industry experts Alexander Baynum of Exploration.io and Ryan Born of HAAWK confirm this payment structure means artists receive just one payment per video, regardless of how many millions of views it generates.
Woman holds head looking distressed
Halton's 12-second clip, posted on February 5th, has garnered:
- 700+ million views
- 44.8 million likes
- 1.5 million comments
- 4 million saves
The video is approaching the record for most-liked TikTok content, currently held by Bella Poarch's "M to the B" lip-sync from 2020.
This payment controversy emerges as Universal Music Group intensifies its conflict with TikTok over unauthorized use of its catalog. While YG Marley isn't signed to UMG, the label is actively issuing DMCA takedown notices and documenting TikTok's handling of repeat copyright infringers, potentially building a case for legal action.
TikTok maintains that its platform helps popularize artists through exposure, often leading to increased streams on other platforms like Spotify. However, major labels, including UMG, remain unconvinced by this argument given the minimal direct compensation.
Despite the video's massive success, the disparity between viral popularity and artist compensation highlights ongoing tensions between music rights holders and social media platforms over fair payment for creative content.