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Universal Music Group (UMG) and Meta have completed a new licensing deal, expanding UMG’s vast music catalog across Meta’s platforms, including its newest app, Threads. This agreement aims to enhance the digital music experience for billions of users globally.
The agreement between Universal Music Group and Meta builds on a licensing deal first established in 2017, which previously allowed UMG’s music to be featured across Meta’s social media networks. The new terms will see UMG artists and songwriters earning a share of advertising revenue generated from the use of their licensed music in Meta creator posts, marking a step forward in ensuring fair compensation for artists.
Michael Nash, Universal Music Group’s Chief Digital Officer and Executive Vice President, expressed his enthusiasm about the agreement, “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.” He said
The deal also marks a milestone for Universal Music Group as UMG’s music catalog becomes the first to be available for content sharing and usage on WhatsApp. This expansion means that Nigerian artists like Adekunle Gold and Odumodublvck, who are signed to or affiliated with UMG, will have their music featured on the popular messaging platform.
Under the leadership of Lucian Grainge, UMG has been at the forefront of combating unauthorized use of its music, particularly in the realm of artificial intelligence. Earlier in 2024, UMG was engaged in a dispute with TikTok over royalty rates and AI-related issues. The conflict was ultimately resolved with a deal ensuring fair payment for UMG artists whose music and likenesses are utilized by AI technologies.
What This Deal Means for Universal Music Group
This new agreement with Meta is expected to further solidify UMG’s position in the digital music landscape, offering greater visibility and revenue opportunities for UMG artists.
