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Facebook and Sony Music sign deal to let users legally upload songs in videos

Facebook and Sony Music sign deal to let users legally upload songs in videos

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It will also allow artists to earn royalties from Facebook and Instagram posts

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Facebook and Sony / ATV Music Publishing have agreed to a deal that allows Facebook users to upload music in their videos, Bloomberg reports. Facebook and Universal Music Group signed a similar licensing agreement back in December.

Discussions between Facebook and music labels have been ongoing in some capacity since 2015, when there were some rumors the company might try to launch a streaming service. Facebook told The Verge in December that it planned to work with UMG to develop “music-based products,” though it’s not clear what those might be.

“Music-based products”

These licensing agreements are a big step toward combating copyright infringement issues on Facebook. Although the specifics of the Sony Music deal aren’t public, Bloomberg reports that the partnership will allow musicians in Sony Music’s catalog to earn royalties from Facebook and Instagram posts.

As Variety points out, Sony Music Publishing is the world’s largest music publishing company, and works with artists like Drake and Lana Del Rey. This means Facebook users will have access to a huge catalog of songs, including some by Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran, according to Bloomberg.

“We are thrilled that in signing this agreement Facebook recognizes the value that music brings to their service and that our songwriters will now benefit from the use of their music on Facebook,” Sony / ATV CEO Martin Bandier said in a statement to Variety.

Facebook is also in talks with Warner Music Group to ink a similar deal in the near future, The Verge reported last month.