Want to include music in your Facebook live stream? It’s completely possible, however it’s important that you understand the legal requirements in order to use someone else’s music and avoid having your content blocked or removed. Show
What is Facebook live?Facebook live is a feature that allows you to stream a live event directly to the platform via a smartphone, computer or tablet. Viewers can watch and react to the livestream in real time. Going live on Facebook can be a great way to boost a sense of community with your listeners, however, there are certain rules that must be respected:
Can I broadcast music on Facebook live?Facebook does not allow you to use commercial music for your live broadcasts. If Facebook thinks you’re using music that’s protected by a copyright, your audio will be muted. Many people are under the impression that if they have purchased a song or a subscription to streaming platforms (such as Spotify), they have the rights to broadcast it. Unfortunately, this isn’t true. By purchasing a song, you are given a license for personal use. Streaming it live on a platform such as Facebook is considered as public use. To put it simply, buying a song doesn’t give you permission to do as you please with it. In order to broadcast it on your live stream, you’d need permission. There are 3 options when it comes to using music in your Facebook live streams: 1. Public domain musicIn the USA, music from the public domain refers to all the music:
2. Royalty-free musicThe term “royalty-free” can be misleading, as it doesn’t mean that the music is free. Royalties are a one-time fee that are paid in order to be given the rights to use a song in your broadcast. Here are a few things to bear in mind:
Go further 👉 Understanding Royalty-free and Copyright-free music 3. Original music, remixes and coversIf you’re a music creator with original music, you can of course broadcast it on your livestream. A cover song (a version of another song with no elements from the original audio) is also allowed, however you would still have to pay royalties to the owner of the song. We typically call this a cover license, or mechanical license. Remixes are modified versions of a particular song. Many DJs download songs and then edit it with various software. In order to legally use your remix, again you will need to contact the copyright holder directly for licensing requirements. It’s illegal to create and broadcast a remix without permission. ⚠️ Note: It’s completely possible to livestream a concert or live performance! Facebook Sound CollectionThe Facebook sound collection is part of the Creator Studio. It contains thousands of songs (and sound effects) owned by Facebook which means there are no copyright issues! This sound collection is available to use in videos for Facebook and Instagram. Thanks to the filters, you can easily search for a genre, mood, specific duration and whether there are vocals or not. What if I don’t monetize my live broadcast?Regardless of whether your video is monetized or not, the rules are the same. You’ll still need the appropriate permissions in order to use someone else’s music. SolutionsThe bottom line is, Facebook will mute your video if you don’t respect the rules. However, here are some top tips to avoid infringing any copyright rules and still find content to live stream: We hope that this article has clarified how to use music in your Facebook live streams without running into any copyright issues. Happy broadcasting! What happens when you play copyrighted music on Facebook Live?You can only play music on a Facebook live stream if you have the license for it. If Facebook thinks you're playing music on your broadcast that's protected by a copyright, Facebook will mute your audio. If you do this repeatedly, Facebook can delete your videos.
What music is allowed on Facebook Live?Yes! All creators have access to a library of custom music and sound effects at no cost using Facebook's Sound Collection. The Sound Collection includes thousands of tracks available to use in the videos you share on Facebook and Instagram without any limits – spanning genres like hip hop, pop, jazz, country, and more.
Can Facebook detect copyrighted music?If we detect that your live video broadcast includes music in a way that doesn't adhere to our music licensing agreements, you may receive a notification from us while filming. This notification is intended to alert you so you can make changes to your stream and avoid interruptions.
How do you get around copyright on Facebook Live?Get written permission from the original author of the work before posting content on Facebook. Always give attribution to the original author. Read through Facebook's copyright policies. Never stream music that you haven't licensed.
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