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 multiyear agreement announced on Monday now includes licensed media in content like shortform videos on Threads and WhatsApp as well as Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Meta 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 allow the companies to work together “in new ways on WhatsApp, and more.” The companies have not revealed many details about the agreement but do say the partnership is “multifaceted” and will address “unauthorized AI-generated content that could affect artists and songwriters,” among other things.

Meta and UMG have had agreements since 2017, back when Meta was 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 also 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.