Facebook and Sony/ATV reach a licensing deal to let people post music videos

Facebook and Sony/ATV Music Publishing announced a multi-year licensing deal today that lets people upload and share video from Sony/ATV artists on Facebook, Instagram and the Oculus Rift platform.

As part of the agreement, musicians will receive royalties for the use of their songs. Exact terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the publisher’s “songwriters will now benefit from the use of their music on Facebook,” Sony/ATV CEO Martin Bandier said in a press release. Sony/ATV’s music library includes tracks from Yeezy (Kanye West), Yeezy’s arch-nemesis Taylor Swift, Drizzy (Drake), The Chainsmokers and Queen.

“We’re excited to work with the largest music publisher in the world to bring amazing songs which deepen connections between friends and fans,” Facebook Head of Music Business Development and Partnerships Tamara Hrivnak said in a statement. “Sony/ATV is a true leader and an absolute champion of writers in the digital space, and we’re thrilled to work with them as they grab new opportunities by the horns across all of our platforms.”

This deal comes about three weeks after Universal Music Group announced a multi-year agreement with Facebook to let people upload to all of Facebook’s properties videos that contain licensed music.

These types of partnerships can help Facebook better challenge tech companies like Spotify and YouTube, which has deals with UMG and Warner Music Group.

Meanwhile, Facebook unveiled Watch late last year to serve as a dedicated portal for video. As TC’s Sarah Perez noted at the time of the UMG deal, Facebook’s partnerships with music publishers could be instrumental in the company’s video efforts.