Meta and Universal Music Group (UMG) have just expanded their multi-year music licensing agreement.
This means you can keep sharing your favourite UMG tracks across Meta’s platforms—Facebook, Instagram, Horizon, Threads, and WhatsApp—without worrying about copyright issues. But there’s more to this story than just music sharing.
What really stands out in this new agreement is the focus on tackling “unauthorized AI-generated content.” Yep, we’re talking about those AI systems that scrape songs without the original creators' consent. This is a growing concern for artists and songwriters who find their work being used to train AI models without permission. Michael Nash, UMG’s Chief Digital Officer, stated, “We look forward to continuing to work together to address unauthorized AI-generated content that could affect artists and songwriters so that UMG can continue to protect their rights both now and in the future.”
This partnership comes hot on the heels of a feud between TikTok and UMG earlier this year, which saw UMG’s catalog temporarily removed from the app. The two companies eventually made peace, allowing hits from artists like Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift back on TikTok.
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The timing is also interesting given a recent AI-related lawsuit filed by the Recording Industry Association of America against music generation startups Udio and Suno. The lawsuit claims these companies used copyrighted music to train their AI models. Suno admitted to using copyrighted songs but argued it was legal under fair use.
Meta, on the other hand, is taking an ethical approach to AI music. Their generative AI models—AudioCraft, MusicGen, and Jasco—are trained with “Meta-owned and specifically licensed music.” However, there’s a caveat: Meta has acknowledged that AudioCraft could potentially be misused to create deepfakes.
And here’s a first: WhatsApp users can now share licensed music from UMG within the app. Threads, Meta’s social networking app and a competitor to X (formerly Twitter), is also included in this deal.
Meta and UMG initially teamed up in 2017, making it the first time a major music company allowed Facebook users to upload and share videos featuring songs from its catalog. This latest expansion shows their commitment to keeping music sharing both fun and fair.
Stay tuned, because the intersection of AI and music is only getting more interesting!
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