Major music publishers have agreed to end their copyright lawsuit against Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter). The publishers, including units of Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Sony Music Entertainment, sued X in 2024, alleging the platform refused to pay for music used by its users, unlike other social media sites like TikTok and Instagram. The lawsuit claimed users infringed over 1,700 songs by artists such as Taylor Swift and Beyoncé.

X had countersued, accusing the publishers of antitrust violations. However, both parties announced they would voluntarily dismiss their respective lawsuits. The filings did not disclose settlement terms. The National Music Publishers’ Association had previously called X its "top legal focus," accusing it of using the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to avoid licensing fees. The publishers sought up to $255 million in damages.

The case proceeded to trial before settlement talks resumed. X’s antitrust claims were in their early stages when the settlement was reached. The publishers involved represent a vast catalog of music, with X being the only major social media platform that had not entered into a blanket licensing deal.