Facebook dives deeper into music streaming with Sony/ATV deal
Users on Facebook, Instagram and Oculus no longer have to worry about having their videos taken down even if they feature songs from Sony/ATV’s artistes.
You can now upload and share videos that feature songs from Sony/ATV's musicians like Ed Sheeran or Taylor Swift and not have to worry they'll get taken down.
You no longer need to worry about having to remove your Facebook video of your New Year's Eve countdown party even if it had Ed Sheeran's Perfect playing in the background.
Facebook has just inked a multiyear, multiterritory licensing deal with Sony/ATV Music that will enable its users to upload and share videos featuring songs from Sony/ATV's collection of 3 million works on Facebook, Instagram and Oculus.
The news comes a month after Facebook struck a similar deal with Universal Music, which means it now works with two of three major music labels in the US. Under both agreements, UMG's and Sony/ATV's musicians (including Drake , Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Taylor Swift , and Kanye West ) can earn royalties when their music is used on Facebook's platforms.
The terms of the deal are not public, but licensing agreements like this typically help to combat copyright infringement while supporting musicians by providing an additional source of income. On top of this, users no longer have to worry about having their videos removed when copyright music is featured.
"We are thrilled that in signing this agreement Facebook recognises the value that music brings to their service and that our songwriters will now benefit from the use of their music on Facebook," said Martin Bandier, chairman and CEO of Sony/ATV.
CNET has reached out to both companies for comments.
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