Meta’s new music deal with UMG includes Threads and WhatsApp

Meta and Universal Music Group (UMG) are refreshing their licensing agreements to expand the use of the publishing giant’s content on more Meta social apps. The new multi-year agreement announced Monday now includes licensed media in content like short-form videos on Threads and WhatsApp, as well as FaceBook, Instagram, Messenger, and Horizon.

In a press statement, Meta’s VP of music and content business development, Tamara Hrivnak, says the partnership between Meta, UMG, and Universal Music Publishing Group, will work “closer” together and “in new ways on WhatsApp, and more.” The companies have not revealed many details on the agreement, but do say the partnership is “multifaceted” and will address “unauthorized AI-generated content that could affect artists and songwriters,” amongst other things.

Meta and UMG have had agreements since 2017 — back when Meta was just Facebook. That agreement allowed users to upload videos and content using music from UMG on platforms, like Instagram and Oculus, to address copyright infringement issues.

The agreement with UMG covers Meta’s content in ways TikTok struggled to lock down. As with the Meta deal, AI took center stage in the TikTok deal. In February, TikTok started removing videos that used not only music owned by UMG, but content that used music by artists who had publishing agreements with Universal Music Publishing Group. TikTok moved to remove all content connected with the publisher by the end of February, but later in May, the companies ended the feud and let music by artists like Taylor Swift and Drake back on the platform.