HowTo Avoid Copyright Violations On Facebook

How To Use Copyrighted Music On Facebook legally

When it comes to whether you may utilize copyrighted music on Facebook, the answer isn’t as easy as a “yes” or “no.” Always assume the response is “no, you cannot use copyrighted music on Facebook,” and you will be OK.

However, the broader answer is that you may utilize copyrighted music on Facebook if you have the rights, permits, or license to that piece of music.

Facebook has a firm position on copyrighted music, and if you post a video that includes a track for which you do not have the permission, you will be penalized. You just need to get a license, which may sometimes be both simpler and less expensive than the truth.

Are you still perplexed? We’ve got you covered.

With the increasing popularity of Facebook videos, the business inked agreements with the world’s largest music publishers in 2018. This means they collaborated with companies like Sony and Universal Music Group to address copyright while also making their songs more accessible via platforms like Facebook Sound Collection. More on it later, but for now, let’s go through the fundamentals of avoiding a copyright infringement accusation.

How to Avoid Copyright Violations on Facebook

When posting material to any site, such as Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube, it’s important to learn how to prevent infringing on copyright. You don’t want a slap on the wrist, a video being banned, or your whole platform being suspended. The following are the most basic concepts to grasp in order to prevent copyright infringement on Facebook:

1- Research Facebook’s copyright policies.

According to Facebook’s copyright FAQ, the only way to be certain you’re not infringing on someone else’s copyright is to publish only material you created yourself.

This is when things become a little difficult. What if you discovered a free song on the internet and used it as background music? What if you purchased the music from iTunes and used it in your video? What about including a notice in your video stating that you do not own the copyright and attempting to correctly identify the copyright owner? Before you begin posting videos to Facebook, you should first understand the fundamentals of music copyright.

Unfortunately, any of these situations may lead to a violation of copyright law. Intention isn’t a defense either. Even if you did not intend to break copyright law, you may face legal consequences if you use copyrighted music without authorization.

2 – Do not share music that you have not licensed.

We’ve previously touched on this, but it’s critical for preventing copyright infringement. If you don’t have a license or explicit permission from a copyright holder to utilize a music, don’t use it.

Avoiding the use of copyrighted music is by far the easiest method to prevent an infringement, and presuming you don’t have the permission or license to use it is the simplest approach to avoid it. If you must utilize copyrighted music, obtaining a license via a site like Lickd is the easiest option since we take out the middlemen and make these songs far more accessible and affordable.

To assist you comprehend, we’ll go into much more depth below.

How can I upload music on Facebook without violating my copyright?

If you don’t want to live a life of crime, there are methods to include music in your films without breaking the law. Let’s have a look at your alternatives.

  1. Make use of stock music libraries

Stock music libraries contain extensive collections of stock music composed by aspiring artists. Tracks in music libraries are often instrumental-only — there are no words, and you won’t discover any of the radio’s popular tunes. While tracks from stock music libraries may be appropriate in certain instances, they may not always have the strength you need to elevate your films to the next level. It’s more difficult to discover a popular song in a stock music library than it is to find a diamond in the rough. Wouldn’t it be nice to have the choice of looking for a diamond at a jewelry store?

  1. Obtain a license directly from the owner of the intellectual property.

If you want to avoid boring stock music, choose the ideal tune and contact the copyright holder personally. Finding the copyright holder, on the other hand, is often a difficult task. First, you must identify all of the copyright holders. Because separate persons may hold the copyright to a song and the copyright to a sound recording — for example, a publisher and a record company— you may find yourself on a never-ending search. Even if you do locate the copyright owners, they may reject your request or demand an exorbitant fee in return for a license.

  1. Make use of Lickd to license popular music.

Check out Lickd if you want to utilize copyrighted music on Facebook legally and without the bother of contacting copyright owners yourself to ask for permission. Lickd’s music collection includes over 20,000 commercial songs that have been pre-cleared by copyright holders for use on social video platforms. When you use Lickd, you’ll have access to a diverse collection of interesting music for films that you can filter by mood, genre, artist, and more.

Lickd music is also not expensive. Licked provides you with an unique price plan based on a sliding scale depending on the views of your previous movies.

  1. Make use of Facebook’s sound library.

Aside from just utilizing your own content, the simplest option is to get your music and noises from the Facebook Sound Collection. A few years ago, Facebook collaborated with a number of publishers and artists to bring the Sound Collection to their creative dashboard, which is intended to let users add music and sound effects to their content without infringing on copyright.

Facebook really owns all of the rights to these songs and effects, which you may use for free. This clearly implies that the songs in the collection are frequently utilized and often more than a bit generic, so if you want to stand out, you should seek elsewhere.

  1. Make use of royalty-free music

Using a royalty-free music library, such as the Facebook Sound Collection, is a good way to get your songs. These services and libraries will allow you to utilize music without paying royalties and will allow you to broaden your search beyond the Facebook Sound Collection.

What exactly is royalty-free music? Royalty-free music is music that you may use without having to pay recurring royalties. Music royalties may consist of a proportion of your profits or a monthly charge.

On paper, this seems wonderful, but there are a few restrictions to royalty free music for Facebook videos that you should be aware of.

You may still be required to pay a significant upfront charge. Royalty-free does not necessarily imply ‘free.’

Royalty-free music resources are often overrun by generic stock music.

What if I share copyrighted music on Facebook?

If you utilize copyrighted music in your video without authorization, Facebook may delete it. Following that, you will get an email or a notice informing you of the removal and outlining your choices. If you think the removal was unintentional — because you own the rights to the material or have permission to use it — you may contact the person who requested Facebook to delete the video and attempt to fix the problem. You may also submit a counter-notification, which we’ll go through in more detail below.

What if I continue to share copyrighted material on Facebook?

You will be labeled a “repeat infringer” if you continue to upload other people’s copyrighted music without authorization. Repeat infringers are bad, and the penalties of being one are much worse. If Facebook finds that you are a repeat infringement, your account or page may be disabled or removed. Depending on the severity of your violation, Facebook may remove your ability to publish or disable other features.

What if I own the music’s rights?

If you own the copyright to the song or have permission to use it, you may submit a “counter-notification.” If the party that reported the infringement to Facebook does not file a lawsuit, Facebook will reinstate your post, and the removal will not count as a strike under Facebook’s repeat infringer policy. Your record will be spotless.

What happens if Facebook decides to delete your content?

When Facebook removes a video due to a copyright violation, you will be notified in two ways:

You will get an email at your registered email address.

You will be notified through your Facebook account or page.

At this point, you may either appeal directly to the owner of your track’s copyright or follow the directions in the email to file an appeal to Facebook. They don’t always get it right, and occasionally a music is tagged as infringing on copyright when it isn’t, so if you believe there was an error, it may be worth appealing.

Unsafe methods of using music on Facebook

With millions of individuals posting a wide range of material on Facebook every day, you’ve probably seen some pretty inventive methods for people to avoid being copyrighted. We’ll debunk a few misconceptions to assist you understand what you can and cannot do while submitting music to the platform.

  1. Making use of a track that you possess a copy of

Unfortunately, merely buying a music, whether on CD, vinyl, digital download, or via a streaming subscription, does not entitle you to utilize it on Facebook or any other site. Owning a copy of a piece of music implies you’ve bought the right to use it for personal purposes, such as listening at home, in your vehicle, or elsewhere. It does not entitle you to utilize it for personal benefit.

Final Thoughts

You’ve almost certainly seen it beneath a video on Facebook, where someone has simply written ‘I do not own the rights to this music’ in the description, smugly feeling as if they’ve dodged decades of copyright rules. Unfortunately, there is another another scenario in which you may get burned. While you may be required to include a disclaimer when lawfully using copyrighted music, it is typically part of your licensing agreement rather than in addition to one.

 

Hello! I'm a passionate individual with a deep love for reading, writing, blogging, technology, and games. My expertise extends to exploring the intricacies of these subjects while sharing valuable insights with my audience. As an avid reader, I immerse myself in various genres, nurturing a profound appreciation for great literature. Through my writing skills, I craft captivating narratives that captivate and engage readers across a multitude of platforms. Blogging allows me to express my thoughts, ideas, and experiences in a coherent and informative manner.