Thursday, December 21, 2017

Facebook Signs Licensing Deal With Universal Music Group

Facebook

Facebook has signed an “unprecedented” licensing deal with Universal Music Group (UMG), according to a press release obtained by Music Business Worldwide. The “global, multi-year agreement” licenses UMG’s recorded music and publishing catalogs for video and other experiences across Facebook, Instagram, and VR platform, Oculus.

Under the partnership, users will be able to upload and share videos that contain UMG music to Facebook, Instagram, and Oculus. The deal is particularly appealing to DJs and music producers, who have experienced copyright takedowns over the past couple of years.

Presumably, DJs and producers will be able to upload and share videos that contain UMG material, such as mixes, remixes, and routines. However, the two other major labels, Warner Music Group (WMG) and Sony Music, haven’t signed deals with Facebook yet. Videos that contain unlicensed content from those companies — and independent labels — could still be taken down.

According to a press release:

“The partnership will facilitate deeper engagement between artists and fans, empowering users to express themselves through music, share the songs they love and build communities around music-fueled culture. Enabling a variety of features across Facebook’s platforms, the agreement is intended to serve as a foundation for a strategic partnership roadmap that will deliver new music-based experiences online.”

Michael Nash, executive vice president of digital strategy at UMG, said:

“This partnership is an important first step demonstrating that innovation and fair compensation for music creators are mutually reinforcing – they thrive together. We look forward to Facebook becoming a significant contributor to a healthy ecosystem for music that will benefit artists, fans and all those who invest in bringing great music to the world.”

Related: Facebook Steps Up Efforts to Reach Deal With Music Industry

| Music Industry

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