Guide To Monetizing Your Music On Facebook, Instagram

Facebook and Instagram have begun partnering with a number of labels and distributors to allow artists to monetize their music on the platforms. Here we break down how the process works, what sort of content artists should submit, and what musicians can expect to get paid.

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Guest post by Randi Zimmerman from the Symphonic Blog

Facebook has partnered with many labels and distributors, including Symphonic, to ensure that content is protected, tracked, and set up for new monetization opportunities.

So, how does it work?

Our partnership with Facebook, which covers Instagram and other services, works like our partnership with YouTube. We upload content into Facebook’s systems in order to scan for anyone using that same content. Then, the content is available for use on Instagram and Lip Sync Live and Instagram Stories.

Facebook and Instagram’s integration allows us to upload content that we can monitor and track its usage. This lets us easily upload and maintain a reference library of audio content to monitor and protect, including live video streams. It also lets us specify permitted uses of each audio asset by setting match rules and identifying new matches against your content so you can review them and file a report or white-list specific pages and profiles that have permission to use your copyrighted content, if needed.

This partnership enables the addition of the content to The Audio Library of Facebook, which is the central hub that Facebook uses to explore different ways of bringing music to the Facebook community.

So far, these include:

• Share Videos with Music on Facebook – Facebook is working to enable people around the world to include music in their videos on Facebook, opening up more options for creativity and sharing memories with friends and family. Facebook is testing this in several markets currently.
• Lip Sync Live – Facebook is starting to roll out Lip Sync Live, which lets you lip sync to songs. To try it out, choose the Lip Sync Live option when starting your Live video. After selecting a song from the song list, you can also add a description and customize your video with masks or a background. When broadcasting with Lip Sync Live, friends will see the artist and song highlighted on the video and can tap to follow the artist on Facebook.
• Instagram Music Stories – Similar to adding emojis/GIFs, users will now have the option to add music by tapping on the sticker icon – searching/browsing for a song, selecting the best segment to match their story – and posting. When friends watch the story, they’ll hear the clip the user chose playing over their photo or video. They’ll also see a sticker with the song title and artist name.

What type of content should I submit?

Always submit content that:

• Uses only your own material for which you have exclusive rights.
• Uses third-party material for which you have exclusive rights.

Never submit content that:

• Contains public domain clips or speeches
• Contains any audio library samples, sound effects, or production loops (such as Garage Band loops)
• Contains any third party content that you do not have exclusively licensed (such as samples you do not have exclusively licensed)
• Are karaoke versions or sound-a-like cover versions
• Are part of a compilation/various artists’ albums
• You have previously licensed to a third party, on an exclusive basis
• Has already been submitted for monetization on Facebook through another distributor
• Are video game soundtracks (unless you are the video game publisher)

I get paid for all this, right?

Yes! All content that we deliver will be set to be tracked, allowed for share/re-share, and, if allowed in a territory, to be monetized. If there are royalties and data associated with those, we’ll pay those out just like we pay out for all partnerships, via our Monthly reporting schedule. Additionally, the percentage rate associated will be the same as our YouTube and Soundcloud Monetization service.

What if I find a Facebook page that I believe is replicating a music listening experience?

If you find a Facebook profile/page that is uploading videos in a manner that attempts to create a music listening experience, please let us know by submitting a request using our Help Desk.