Key Takeaways:
- Meta and UMG expand their licensing agreement to cover new platforms like WhatsApp and Threads.
- The deal focuses on combating unauthorized AI-generated music and protecting artists’ rights.
- UMG’s music catalog integration enhances monetization opportunities across Meta’s ecosystem.
- The partnership reflects the music industry’s growing focus on ethical AI use.
- Meta commits to using licensed music in its AI models, addressing AI-related risks.
Meta Platforms, Inc. and Universal Music Group (UMG) have announced the expansion of their multi-year music licensing agreement, a partnership that was first established in 2017.
This enhanced deal introduces new opportunities for artists and songwriters to monetize their work across Meta’s platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Threads, and WhatsApp.
However, the most significant aspect of this agreement is its focus on combating unauthorized AI-generated content, a growing concern in the music industry.
With the rise of sophisticated AI technologies, there has been an increase in the replication and generation of content that closely mimics the work of established artists, often without proper licensing or compensation.
This expanded partnership between Meta and UMG is designed to address these issues directly, ensuring that artists and songwriters are fairly compensated and their creative rights are protected.
UMG, the world’s largest music company, representing high-profile artists such as Taylor Swift, Elton John, and Drake, has been particularly vocal about the dangers of unauthorized AI-generated music.
The company has already taken legal action against AI developers like Anthropic PBC, the creators of the chatbot Claude, for allegedly using song lyrics without permission to train their models. This lawsuit is one of several UMG efforts to safeguard its intellectual property in the AI age.
This new agreement also significantly expands UMG’s reach across Meta’s platforms. WhatsApp users can access UMG’s extensive music catalog for the first time, allowing them to share licensed songs directly within the messaging app.
The agreement extends to newer platforms like Threads and Meta Horizon, Meta’s virtual reality environment, further embedding UMG’s music into the fabric of Meta’s digital ecosystem.
Tamara Hrivnak, Meta’s VP of Music and Content Business Development, emphasized the partnership’s potential to connect fans, artists, and songwriters in innovative ways.
The companies have stressed their shared vision of respecting human creativity and ensuring fair compensation for artists in their official statements, highlighting the importance of this collaboration in the evolving digital landscape.
This partnership expansion comes amid increasing industry focus on the challenges posed by artificial intelligence. Earlier this year, UMG resolved a dispute with TikTok over music royalties, a conflict that was also influenced by concerns over AI-generated content.
We would like to thank each of our artists, songwriters and label partners for your patience and understanding over the past few months. Your steadfast support alongside the wider music community has been integral to reaching an agreement that better rewards and protects artists… pic.twitter.com/4abUVFYixK
— Universal Music Group (@UMG) May 2, 2024
The rapid advancement of AI technologies in the music industry has led to a surge in partnerships and legal actions to ensure that these innovations are used ethically and that artists’ rights are preserved.
Meta, which has been developing its own generative AI models—such as AudioCraft, MusicGen, and Jasco—asserts that these technologies are trained exclusively on Meta-owned or specifically licensed music.
Meta and UMG have partnered since 2017, when Meta was still known as Facebook. This initial agreement enabled users to upload videos and music featuring UMG music on platforms like Instagram and Oculus, helping mitigate copyright infringement concerns.
UMG is proud to announce the first partnership between a major music company & Facebook, the largest social media company in the world, to license our recorded & publishing music catalogs for use in videos created across Facebook, Instagram & Oculus. https://t.co/YouXAl6RCT pic.twitter.com/W9IMWbIIXE
— Universal Music Group (@UMG) December 22, 2017
Despite this, the company acknowledges the potential risks associated with AI, including creating deepfakes that could mimic the voices of real artists.
By working together, these two industry leaders aim to create a more secure and equitable environment for artists and songwriters, ensuring that they are fairly compensated and their creative works are protected in an increasingly AI-driven world.
This collaboration sets a new standard for how technology and creative industries can coexist, balancing innovation with protecting intellectual property.
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