Recently, Meta and Universal Music Group (UMG) announced a new multi-year collaboration agreement aimed at expanding the usage of this music publishing giant's content across Meta's social applications.
This new agreement not only covers platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Meta Horizon but also introduces short video content to Threads on WhatsApp for the first time. Tamara Hrivnak, Vice President of Music and Content Business Development at Meta, stated that this partnership will enable Meta, UMG, and Universal Music Publishing Group to engage in "new forms of collaboration" on platforms like WhatsApp.
Although the details were not extensively disclosed, they indicated that this agreement is "multifaceted" and will address issues such as "unauthorized AI-generated content that may impact artists and songwriters." In fact, Meta and UMG have been collaborating since 2017, when Meta was still known as Facebook. The initial agreement allowed users to upload videos and content with UMG music on platforms like Instagram and Oculus, thereby resolving copyright issues.
Compared to TikTok's agreements, Meta's collaboration with UMG has been smoother in terms of content usage. TikTok faced some challenges when negotiating new music agreements. As early as February of this year, TikTok began removing videos that used UMG music, including those from artists who had publishing agreements with Universal Music Publishing Group. Despite this, the parties reached a settlement in May, allowing music from artists like Taylor Swift and Drake to return to the platform.
This new agreement between Meta and UMG provides users with a broader space to create and share music content on social media, and the inclusion of WhatsApp and Threads means users will have more opportunities to interact with music through these platforms.
Key Points:
🎵 Meta and UMG sign a new agreement to expand music content usage on Threads and WhatsApp.
🤝 The collaboration aims to address the impact of unauthorized AI-generated content on artists.
📅 Meta and UMG's partnership began in 2017, marking a further deepening of their collaboration with this agreement.