Universal Music and Meta Announce Expanded Global Agreement for AI, Monetization and Mor

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Meta — home to Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and more — and Universal Music Group have announced an “expanded global, multi-year agreement that will further evolve the creative and commercial opportunities” for UMG artists and Universal Music Publishing Group songwriters across Meta’s network of platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Horizon, Threads and, for the first time, WhatsApp.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the announcement says the new agreement “reflects the two companies’ shared commitment to protecting human creators and artistry, including ensuring that artists and songwriters are compensated fairly,” and notes that the companies will continue working together to “address, among other things, unauthorized AI-generated content that could affect artists and songwriters.” It also notes that the new agreement “expands monetization opportunities for UMG, and its artists and songwriters,” including short form video.

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In 2017, UMG became the first major music company to license its recorded music and music publishing catalogs across Facebook’s platforms. 

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Tamara Hrivnak, VP Music and Content Business Development at Meta, said, “We are thrilled to announce our renewal with Universal Music Group, and Universal Music Publishing Group, both of whom are innovators for music on social media, especially with regard to Meta’s family of apps.  This partnership builds on the recognition that music can help connect us and bring fans, artists, and songwriters closer together, not only on established platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, but also in new ways on WhatsApp, and more.  We’re extremely grateful to the Universal team, and look forward to growing our partnership in the future.”

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Michael Nash, Chief Digital Officer & EVP, Universal Music Group said, “Since our landmark 2017 agreement, Meta has consistently demonstrated its commitment to artists and songwriters by helping to amplify the importance music holds across its global network of engaged communities and platforms, creating new opportunities and applications where music amplifies and leads engagement and conversations.  We are delighted that Meta shares our artist-centric vision for respecting human creativity and compensating artists and songwriters fairly. We look forward to continuing to work together to address unauthorized AI-generated content that could affect artists and songwriters, so that UMG can continue to protect their rights both now and in the future.”

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