Brands have welcomed music into their social media content, crafting some of the most memorable advertisements online. But despite having substantial budgets and significant partnerships, brands are restricted from using any music of their choice in their social media posts – it is the platforms that negotiate access to music on behalf of their users. With the recent news of Universal Music Group’s licensing agreement expiring with TikTok, we found now is a good time for a refresher on our handy eGuide, Mastering music rights on social media.
Universal’s extensive catalog, encompassing approximately 3 million recorded music tracks and about 4 million songs under UMG’s publishing representation, will no longer have legal clearance for use on TikTok. It’s important for brand marketers to review current and planned social media campaigns, both in house and with external agencies, to mitigate risk. If music has been licensed directly by your brand, be sure to check with UMG to see if this news impacts your planned content. The change of plans can be frustrating, but it’s better than having music muted or content taken down. TL;DR, you will no longer be able to use UMG music in your posts on TikTok – only use music from their existing Commercial Music Library.
Lucky for you, we’ve compiled a helpful guide tailored for brands, making it easy for you to grasp the ins and outs of music copyrights and licensing. Throw on your go-to playlist and give our crash course on music copyrights a read, so you can master music rights on social media.
Download the free eGuide to learn:
- Music copyright basics
- Types of music licenses
- The complexity of music use on social media
- How to use music on social media as a brand
- Social media campaign checklist
Check your content with Pex
Pex can help protect your brand by preventing infringement and checking past content. Our technology identifies music in your social content in real time, before anything goes live, and we can audit your published posts, so you can take action before a music rightsholder does. Contact our team to learn more.
