BEIJING, Aug. 3 -- China's copyright regulator said on Monday that the online music copyright situation has improved since it ordered music providers to remove unlicensed songs in July.

Music steaming services had removed more than 2.2 million unlicensed songs as of Friday, said the National Copyright Administration (NCA).

Internet companies have also improved their efforts in copyright cooperation, said the NCA.

The regulator will help music streaming services find a suitable way to pay royalties and will continue to check for violators.

As part of "Sword Net 2015", the anti-piracy campaign aims to improve online copyright management, protect royalty holders and restore confidence in the copyright system.