Yes, you can play music in your Facebook Live videos. When broadcasting live on Facebook, you have the option to add audio tracks and sound effects to enhance your video stream. This allows you to play background music, custom audio clips, or other audio elements while live streaming on Facebook.
However, there are some limitations and guidelines around using copyrighted music in Facebook Live videos. Facebook’s terms of service and community standards restrict the unauthorised use of copyrighted materials. So you need to be mindful of music licensing rules if you want to legally play songs in your Facebook Live broadcasts.
Overview of Playing Music in Facebook Live
Here is a quick overview of how playing music in Facebook Live works:
- You can add audio tracks and sound clips when broadcasting live video on Facebook.
- This allows you to play background music, audio effects, voiceovers, and other audio elements.
- Facebook offers audio options like Sound Collection and Sound Library for adding sound effects.
- You can also upload your own custom audio files to use in Facebook Live.
- However, you can only use music you have the rights to play publicly in your videos.
- Facebook’s terms prohibit unauthorised use of copyrighted materials.
- So you need to own or license songs legally before playing them in Facebook Live.
- Using unlicensed music can lead to muting, stream interruptions or account restrictions.
Overall, you have the technical capability to add music and audio to your Facebook Live broadcasts. But it’s crucial that you follow proper music licensing procedures for any copyrighted songs you want to play.
How to Add Music to Facebook Live Videos
If you want to play audio tracks and music in your Facebook Live videos, here are the basic steps:
- Start your Facebook Live broadcast from the Facebook app as usual.
- Tap the “Add Sound” button to open up audio options.
- Browse Facebook’s Sound Collection for free sound effects and music.
- Or tap “Sound Library” to access your own uploaded audio files.
- Select the audio track or music file you want to add.
- Adjust the volume levels before going live.
- Press “Go Live” and your selected music will play in the video stream.
- You can add multiple audio tracks and make adjustments during the live broadcast.
It’s a very straightforward process. You simply need to tap the “Add Sound” button before or during your Facebook Live to add background music or other audio elements.
Just remember that any third-party songs and audio must be legally licensed for public performance if you want to avoid copyright issues.
Facebook’s Terms on Using Copyrighted Music
While you can technically play any audio in your Facebook Live videos, Facebook’s terms and policies place restrictions around using copyrighted music without authorization.
Here are some key points on Facebook’s terms regarding unlicensed music use:
- You must comply with all music licensing and copyright laws when broadcasting on Facebook Live.
- Facebook prohibits unauthorised use of intellectual property or third-party content.
- This includes playing songs and audio without the legal rights to do so.
- You must own or obtain licenses for any copyrighted music played in your videos.
- Facebook can remove videos and impose restrictions for repeat copyright violations.
- You may also face direct legal action from music publishers for unlicensed usage.
The bottom line is you can face account suspensions, video takedowns or even lawsuits for copyright infringement if you play copyrighted songs in Facebook Live without the proper music rights and licenses. So it’s crucial to follow applicable music licensing laws and only use legally authorised audio content.
Options for Legally Using Music in Facebook Live
Assuming you want to avoid copyright problems, here are some options for legally playing music in your Facebook Live broadcasts:
Use Facebook’s Free Sound Collection
Facebook provides a Sound Collection library full of audio tracks and sound effects you can freely use in your videos, including Facebook Live. The music and SFX in this library are licensed for public performance, so you don’t need to obtain rights separately. This is the easiest way to access legal music.
Use Royalty-Free Music
There are websites that offer royalty-free music files you can purchase and license for commercial use. The music licenses allow public performance in online videos. So this is another option for legally adding background music to your Facebook Live streams. Just ensure the specific license terms allow this type of usage.
Directly License Popular Songs
You can reach out to individual artists, record labels and music publishers to license popular songs for usage in your online videos and live streams. This will likely involve negotiating a royalty payment. But it enables you to legally play hit music. You can often do this by contacting a record label’s licensing department.
Obtain a Public Performance License
Organizations like ASCAP, BMI and SESAC offer public performance licenses that cover large libraries of songs for usage in public contexts. Having one of these licenses would allow you to legally play these songs during your Facebook Live broadcasts. You still need to arrange the license and pay applicable fees.
Use Original Music
Of course, using original audio content that you created yourself is another way to ensure music is legally authorized for your Facebook videos. If you compose your own background music or songs, you automatically own the copyrights. Just be careful not to sample or mimic copyrighted music without permission.
Best Practices for Legally Using Music in Facebook Live
To safely incorporate music into your Facebook Live streams, while avoiding copyright infringement risks, keep these best practices in mind:
- Review Facebook’s terms and only use music you have the rights to publicly perform.
- Leverage Facebook’s free Sound Collection for licensed music tracks.
- Purchase royalty-free music that expressly allows online video usage.
- Obtain licenses directly from artists/labels for popular songs you want to use.
- Consider a public performance license for a broad music catalogue.
- Compose your own original music whenever possible.
- Avoid sampling or recreating recognizable music without authorization.
- Be prepared to show documentation proving your music rights if requested.
- Only play short clips of songs if relying on fair use exceptions.
Following these kinds of best practices, and taking the time to properly license any third-party music, can help mitigate the risk of copyright claims or penalties related to the music you play during Facebook Live broadcasts.
It’s simply not worth the potential consequences of using unlicensed songs just for some background music in your videos. Protect yourself by only using properly authorized audio content.
What Happens if You Use Unlicensed Music in Facebook Live?
Using copyrighted songs and audio without the necessary licensing in your Facebook Live videos can lead to serious repercussions, including:
- Facebook may mute or block content with unauthorized music.
- Your Facebook account can face restrictions for repeat copyright violations.
- Facebook may disable your live streaming privileges entirely.
- YouTube and other platforms may also penalize your channel.
- The copyright holder can file a DMCA takedown notice against your video.
- You may be sued by the music owner for substantial copyright damages.
- Statutory fines for willful infringement can total up to $150,000 per song.
The potential damages for unlicensed music use highlight why it’s so important to carefully follow music licensing laws and best practices. Relying on fair use defenses or hoping to fly under the radar simply isn’t wise. Always get proper authorization before publicly performing copyrighted music in your online videos.
Fair Use and Music Licensing
Some people wonder whether they can use short music clips under fair use copyright rules without needing a license. There are limits to fair use, but here are some key considerations:
- Fair use is decided on a case-by-case basis based on four factors:
- Purpose of use
- Nature of copyrighted material
- Amount used
- Commercial effect on copyright owner
- Using very short snippets may qualify as fair use in some cases.
- But playing full songs generally requires a music license.
- Fair use is still subject to the platforms’ own restrictions.
- Relying solely on fair use comes with legal risks if disputed.
- Obtaining music licenses is the much safer approach.
In general, you should not depend on claiming fair use to justify playing significant portions of copyrighted music without authorization. Music licensing should be approached proactively to avoid disputes.
Using Authorized Music Providers
Another option some live streamers use for adding music to Facebook videos is connecting authorized music streaming accounts like Spotify.
Here are some key points on integrating authorized music services:
- You can stream music from Spotify and other platforms during Facebook Live.
- This avoids manually downloading and uploading music separately.
- Streaming authorized tracks this way is allowed under most platform terms.
- However, you still can’t record or re-distribute the music outside of the stream.
- There are limitations on which songs can be played, based on streaming rights.
- Make sure to comply with each platform’s usage policies.
- This approach simplifies licensed music access but still has restrictions.
While linking authorized streaming accounts makes it easier to access licensed music, you still need to follow the specific usage terms for the streaming service and Facebook. This is not a free-for-all to publicly perform any song. But it can provide a convenient option for live streaming music under the proper licenses.
Music Licensing Tips and Cautionary Notes
Here are some additional tips and cautionary notes to keep in mind regarding music licensing for Facebook Live:
- Double check Facebook’s terms before using any copyrighted songs.
- Don’t assume you can use music under blanket licenses that don’t expressly permit it.
- Trying to dispute unauthorized usage after the fact rarely succeeds.
- Avoid editing and re-uploading streams with unlicensed music after the fact.
- Consider music licensing insurance if you are unsure of certain usage rights.
- Trying to monetize videos with unlicensed music will compound potential penalties.
- You still can’t exceed time limits imposed by some public performance licenses.
- Deleting infringing streams won’t necessarily prevent copyright claims.
- Muting VOD copies to remove music may still draw copyright complaints.
The complexities around music licensing means it’s smart to be conservative in how you incorporate music into Facebook Live streams. When in doubt, reach out for guidance or simply avoid unauthorized music usage altogether. While cautionary, this approach steers clear of substantial copyright troubles.
Conclusion
In summary, yes you can add music and audio tracks to play during your Facebook Live broadcasts. However, you can only legally play songs that you have properly licensed or otherwise have rights to publicly perform. Using unlicensed copyrighted music in your Facebook Live videos violates Facebook’s terms and raises risks like video muting, account restrictions and copyright lawsuits. So be sure to follow all applicable music licensing laws and best practices when incorporating music into your live streams. The safest approach is to stick to music that is either in the public domain, royalty-free or directly licensed from the rights holder. With the right licensing prepared, adding music can be a great way to make your Facebook Live videos more engaging.