Facebook and Universal Music Group (UMG) have signed a new kind of licensing deal that will let users upload songs in videos.
Under the deal, UMG will license its recorded music and publishing catalogs for video and other social experiences across Facebook, Instagram and Oculus. Terms were not disclosed.
The global, multi-year deal with Universal Music Group (UMG) addresses copyright issues raised by unauthorised use of its artists’ material.
The firms also said they were working together on new music products, a sign Facebook has set its sights on challenging YouTube.
UMG said the deal was “unprecedented”.
Universal represents artists such as Taylor Swift and Jay-Z. The company has previously pushed Facebook to remove posts, including covers of its artists’ songs.
Universal Music Group’s executive vice president of digital strategy, Michael Nash said: “Together, Facebook and UMG are creating a dynamic new model for collaboration between music companies and social platforms to advance the interests of recording artists and songwriters while enhancing the social experience of music for their fans.”
Tamara Hrivnak, Head of Music Business Development and Partnerships, Facebook, said, “There is a magnetic relationship between music and community building. We are excited to bring that to life on Facebook, Instagram, Oculus and Messenger in partnership with UMG. Music lovers, artists and writers will all be right at home as we open up creativity, connection and innovation through music and video.”
Going forward, the companies will experiment hand-in-hand to introduce new music-based products to these Facebook platforms, including Messenger, with the goal of catalyzing innovation to develop the next generation of music products that best engage social consumers.
