Australian model Leah Halton's TikTok video lip-syncing to YG Marley's "Praise Jah in the Moonlight" has amassed over 700 million views, yet TikTok's payment structure means Marley only receives royalties for a single view.

Industry experts confirm that TikTok's payout model bases compensation on the number of different videos featuring a track, not the number of views per video. As Ryan Born of HAAWK and Identifyy explains, "You might be in a million videos that have one stream, and that's going to make infinitely more money than one video that has a million streams."

Key Statistics for Halton's Video (as of April 15th):

• 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. While TikTok does credit YG Marley's track in the video, the platform's payment structure results in minimal compensation despite massive viral success.

This payment controversy emerges as Universal Music Group intensifies its criticism of TikTok's practices. Though YG Marley isn't signed to UMG, the label is actively combating unauthorized use of its catalog on the platform through DMCA takedown notices and potential legal action regarding repeat copyright infringers.

The disparity between viral success and artist compensation highlights ongoing tensions between music rights holders and social media platforms, particularly regarding fair compensation for creative content.

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