After fighting endless DMCA takedown requests, Facebook finally grants indie musicians and content creators pre-cleared songs.
There’s a problem plaguing Facebook.
Musicians on the world’s largest social network love posting videos. That includes covers of wildly popular songs from artists like Ed Sheeran. Major rights owners, however, most notoriously Universal Music Publishing Group, aggressively issue DMCA takedown notices on popular songs. Facebook willingly complies.
The result is a social media war zone, with fans unable to comprehend the law — and label groups like UMG becoming the villain. Accounts get penalized, users get pissed off, and artists don’t get paid.
But what if Facebook could smooth their user experience by avoiding major licenses in the first place?
Now, as part of a new initiative to promote original content on the platform, Facebook has launched the “Sound Collection.” Users can now upload videos and other content using 1,000 free, pre-cleared songs from mainly unknown artists. Nothing gets ripped down — ever — as long as you use content from this library.
Say hello to pre-cleared content.
The Sound Collection provides access to “thousands of high-quality audio tracks and sound effects from all over the world.” Facebook owns the songs, so anyone can use them to create and share videos on the platform and on Instagram.
According to the company, you’ll find a “mix of songs, vocals, noises, and instrumental tracks spanning genres like hip hop, pop, jazz, country, and more.” The social network giant promises to add tracks and effects very soon. So, 1,000 will probably turn into 10,000 in a few months.
With the launch of Sound Collection, Facebook will add easy-to-use discovery tools. Users can learn about different artists, follow them, and browse songs by “genre, mood, length, and vocals.”
In addition to the 1,000 free, pre-cleared songs, users will also find over 1,500 sound effects. These range from the sound of blinds to suction tools.
The Sound Collection may help Facebook avoid battling endless copyright claims from major labels. Last September, the social media giant entered into negotiations with major music labels and publishers to license copyrighted music in user-uploaded videos.
Those negotiations appear ongoing, though the pre-cleared catalog offers a nice baseline for Facebook. And, a lot more negotiating leverage.
You can check out the Sound Collection here.
Featured image by JD Lasica (CC by 2.0)
HE IS IRRELEVANT TO MUSIC BUSINESS!
Zuckerberg card was used by used by MASTER OF CHUTZPAH at Spotify to bluff UMG boys to STREAMING wonderland!
Music needs to be placed on new $300B game board. NOW!
All including Spotify will WIN!
YouTube – the jukebox to humanity HAS TO GO!
Facebook is entering into the Indie music market.
…and will sprinkle indies with ad profit sharing! Wow!
Music can stand alone, it is much bigger than ads.
“Music can stand alone, it is much bigger than ads.”
Yes.
And not only “music” but a broader “content or products or music by musicians”
People seem to think that the only thing a musician should want to do is have someone stream a song and get paid somewhere between 1/10th of a penny or a penny for a stream.
Musicians could by now, a long time ago, have a place they could make serious money in a number of different ways. They don’t have it even now, 20 years after the internet. Celebs of all types should be able to monetize their fame or their ability to create all different types of content. I would think that celebs, including musicians, should be able to start making money from live streaming. A quality live stream of a performance or of just whatever is something that some fans would pay to watch on a per minute basis. “A bag of my garbage” Auction! And more realistically, guitars. Auction! Sell tickets. Streams, Downloads of all types.
Everything is paid for by points. And points are purchased in blocks. You spend $ once, and everything you spend points on removes points.
This is just the start, Facebook Music is coming in 2018. A separate app like the old myspace with all streaming for $5 a month. Watch out Spotify
Can you tell us more of these plans? I’ve heard a lot of hearsay, but not much in terms of concrete plans and roadmaps.
I’m not Nick Pope, and this pretty OT anyway. But nevertheless:
Being really, really tired of YouTube- and Facebook censorship, I looked at PewTube today, and I’ve got to say it’s the closest I’ve seen yet to what might turn into a free-speech alternative to YouTube and Facebook video.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m on the left, and the current videos on the site are total trash; gross anti-Semitic, white supremacist garbage, and probably not much of anything else.
But that could change. If any of you remember the early YouTube days, you know the content was horrible and often disgusting.
And here’s the thing:
Contrary to other YouTube alternative-wannabees, PewTube actually looks nice. And that’s a really big deal.
Also, the guy behind it, alt-right as he may be, is actually competent and able to speak at length without praising Trump or offending women. Only thing that puzzled and worried me a bit was that he actually thought Gab is nice (if you’ve seen it you’ll know it’s right-wing amateur hour).
But take a look for yourself — here’s the guy in a CNN interview: https://pew.tube/user/pewtube/c1JNUrH
Now, as part of a new initiative to promote original content on the platform, Facebook has launched the “Sound Collection.” Users can now upload videos and other content using 1,000 free, pre-cleared songs from mainly unknown artists. Nothing gets ripped down — ever — as long as you use content from this library.
“original content”
or
“1,000 free, pre-cleared songs”
Sounds awful. Fail.