Facebook inks deal with Warner Music for tunes in shared videos

Warner Music Group and Facebook today announced a “holistic” partnership that includes licensing agreements covering the music company’s recorded music and music publishing catalogs for use in videos and messages. The deal allows fans to create, upload and share videos with licensed music from the company. Under the partnership, WMG and Facebook will continue to work together to develop new products that enable users to personalize their music experiences across Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and Oculus.

Terms of the deal were not announced. The move follows a similar deal between Universal Music Group and Sony/ATV Music Publishing and the platform announced in December and January, respectively.

The announcement was accompanied by a short video on Warner’s Facebook page.

Eric Mackay, EVP, Global Digital Strategy, Warner/Chappell, commented: “The team at Facebook is creating a truly innovative product and is showing real commitment to its participation in the growth of the music business. We’ve taken our time to arrive at the best possible deal, one that recognizes the value that music creates on social networks, while empowering our songwriters to reach audiences around the world, in a way that will spark creativity and conversation among their fans. Our incredible catalogue of songs will be represented throughout Facebook’s platforms and we’re excited to work together to create new opportunities for both our songwriters and Facebook’s users.”

Ole Obermann, Chief Digital Officer, Warner Music Group, added: “Our partnership with Facebook will help expand the universe of music streaming and create supplementary revenue for artists. Fan-created video is one of the most personal, social and often viral ways that music is enjoyed, but its commercial potential is largely untapped. This collaboration will lead to new possibilities for our artists, while enhancing the user experience across Facebook, Instagram and Oculus, and enabling people to communicate and express themselves using the music they love.”

Tamara Hrivnak, Head of Music Business Development and Partnerships, Facebook, said: “When Facebook and music come together, we have the power to bring people closer together. Music brings to life the happy, the sad, the throwback and the funny in all the moments and messages we share with friends. We are delighted to partner with Warner, its artists and songwriters, and welcome them to our platforms.”