New deal will provide expanded social music opportunities for Universal Music Group’s artists and Universal Music Rights Management’s songwriters on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Horizon, Threads and WhatsApp
Santa Monica, 8 2024 September 12 – Meta and Universal Music Group (UMG), the global leader in music entertainment, announced today that the two parties have reached an expanded global multi-year agreement. The agreement will enhance creative and commercial opportunities for Universal Music Group’s artists and Universal Music Rights Management Group’s (UMPG) songwriters across Meta’s global network of platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Horizon, Threads, and for the first time Among them whatsapp. The new
agreement demonstrates both companies’ shared commitment to safeguarding human creators and artistic creation, including ensuring that artists and songwriters are fairly compensated. As part of their multi-dimensional partnership, meta and Universal Music Group will continue to work together to address the impact that issues such as unauthorized AI-generated content may have on artists and songwriters.
The new agreement expands on the strategic framework signed by the two parties in 2017, which marked a landmark collaboration between the music industry and the company then known as Facebook. Under the 2017 agreement, Universal Music Group became the first major music company to license its recorded music and songwriting copyright library on Facebook's major platforms. Accordingly, Facebook became the first social media platform to obtain full music copyright authorization, becoming a pioneer in the industry.
meta's platform has long been a destination for artists and songwriters to connect directly with fans, grow their audiences, and build deep connections. Since 2017, the two companies have been working together to develop virtual reality experiences, user-generated content (UGC), live broadcast platforms and other meta products within the entire meta ecosystem - including Facebook, Instagram, meta quest and horizon. ——Explore emerging channels and innovative paths for licensed music. The newly reached agreement further expands the profit opportunities for Universal Music Group and its artists and songwriters in the short-form video field, marking another milestone in the innovative cooperation between Meta and Universal Music Group. In addition, Universal Music Group has also joined forces with meta to provide authorized music for WhatsApp users, opening up a new value space for Universal Music Group’s artists and songwriters in the future. "We are extremely pleased to announce the completion of our contract renewals with Universal Music Group and Universal Music Rights Management Group, both of which are innovators in social media music, particularly with regard to the Meta series," said Tamara HRivnak, vice president of music and content business development at
meta. app. This collaboration is based on the understanding that music can help us connect with each other, bringing fans, artists and songwriters closer together, not only on established platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, but also on more mature platforms such as WhatsApp. We are extremely grateful to the Universal Music team and look forward to strengthening our partnership in the future,” said Michael Nash, chief digital officer and executive vice president,
Universal Music Group. Since the agreement, meta has demonstrated its commitment to artists and songwriters by helping to highlight the importance of music across its global community and online platforms, creating new opportunities and applications where music can enhance engagement and lead communication. meta shares our artist-centered philosophy of respecting human creativity and paying artists and songwriters fairly. We look forward to continuing to work together to address issues that may impact artists and songwriters with unauthorized AI-generated content. Allows Universal Music Group to continue to protect their rights now and in the future.”
