The Partnership Expands with New Protections for Artists while Extending Music Licensing to WhatsApp
Meta and Universal Music Group announced on Monday the expansion of their multi-year music licensing agreement. This collaboration allows users to share songs from UMG’s extensive music library across Meta’s platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Horizon, Threads, and WhatsApp, without infringing on copyright.
A significant aspect of the new agreement is the focus on addressing “unauthorized AI-generated content.” This refers to music created by AI systems that often use existing songs without the original creators’ permission. Artists and songwriters face increasing challenges from AI-generated fakes and the use of their work in training AI models without consent.
“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,” Michael Nash, chief digital officer and executive vice president at UMG, said in a statement.
The partnership’s renewal follows a dispute between TikTok and UMG earlier this year, during which the label’s music catalog was temporarily removed from the platform. In a statement in February, UMG highlighted concerns about AI and online safety on TikTok. A resolution in May allowed music from artists like Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift to return to the app.
This new agreement also coincides with an AI-related lawsuit filed by the Recording Industry Association of America against music generation startups Udio and Suno, which represent UMG and other major labels. The lawsuit alleges these companies used copyrighted music to train their AI models. Sudo has admitted to using copyrighted songs but argues it falls under fair use.
Meanwhile, Meta emphasizes its ethical approach to AI music by releasing generative AI models like AudioCraft, MusicGen, and Jasco, which are trained with “Meta-owned and specifically licensed music,” according to its website.
For the first time, WhatsApp users can now share licensed music from UMG within the messaging app. The agreement also includes Threads, Meta’s social networking platform and direct competitor to X.
Meta and UMG’s collaboration began in 2017, marking a milestone as the first major music company to allow Facebook users to upload and share videos featuring songs from its catalog.
