ABBA is the latest artist to oppose Donald Trump’s unauthorized use of their music in his presidential campaign. The iconic Swedish pop group has requested that Trump stop using their songs, emphasizing that the campaign neither sought permission nor obtained a license for their music.
A representative for ABBA told CNN that the group recently discovered their music and videos were played at a Trump rally without their knowledge or consent. Both ABBA and their label, Universal Music, have demanded the removal and deletion of the content, but they have yet to receive any requests or communications from the Trump campaign.
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This isn’t the first time Trump has faced criticism for using music without permission. Artists such as the Foo Fighters, Jack White, and Celine Dion have also spoken out against the unauthorized use of their songs by Trump’s campaign. While the campaign has secured licenses from performance rights organizations (PROs) like BMI and ASCAP, artists and songwriters still have the authority to approve or reject the use of their music in specific contexts.
Music law expert Heidy Vaquerano explained that when a song is used alongside video images, an additional license might be required. “The campaign would need to reach out to the respective songwriters of the musical composition through their publisher and the artist’s record label for permission,” Vaquerano said.
The conflict between Trump and various artists over unauthorized music use has persisted for years. During his 2016 and 2020 campaigns, Trump played songs by artists who did not support him, including Bruce Springsteen, Rihanna, and the Beatles. The estate of soul singer Isaac Hayes even filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Trump for using his music at rallies without permission.
