Facebook has been changing a lot things up recently. Its parent company has been renamed Meta, and its sister company, Instagram, has been morphing into something which more closely resembles TikTok, much to the chagrin of its users. Now, Facebook is addressing a hotly contested issue which has long plagued video services: ad revenue and licensed music.
On Monday, Meta announced that people creating videos on Facebook can now earn money even if their video includes licensed music. The company introduced "Music Revenue Sharing," which will allow creators to include licensed music while also allowing them to get a cut of the in-stream ad revenue.
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According to Meta, this move will allow both creators and music rights holders to make more money. Users have been able to use licensed music in the past, but they haven't been able to monetize said videos. With the new feature, creators can now receive 20% revenue share on videos that are over 60 seconds long and use licensed music. A separate share would then go to the rights holder on the music as well as Meta, but the company has yet to disclose the specifics of this aspect of the deal.
The songs used in the videos must be taken from the Licensed Music library. Eligible songs are varying, including tracks from Tove Lo, Post Malone, and big names. Meta also stressed that there must be visuals in the video– the music can't be the primary focus of the video. Facebook Reels are not yet part of this new initiative, though the company left the door open for the possibility in the future.
[via]