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Facebook promises personalised music in first label deal

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New York: Facebook announced a licensing deal with Universal Music Group, its first with a major label, as the social media giant promised more personalised, interactive music features for its two billion users.


The move marks a new foray into music by Facebook, which despite its global conquest had been low-key in developing music functions compared with fellow tech titans Apple, Google and Amazon.


Universal — home to some of the biggest names in music from The Beatles to Elton John and Lady Gaga — billed the agreement as its latest success in securing more revenue from songs in an age of round-the-clock Internet sharing.


Universal will licence its music recordings and videos around the world for use on Facebook as well as on Instagram and the virtual reality site Oculus, which are both owned by Mark Zuckerberg’s company.


Facebook said users will eventually have access to a vast library from Universal, allowing them to upload licensed music or share it through Messenger.


The two companies, in a joint statement, said they were developing more personalised functions in a bid to “develop the next generation of music products that best engage social consumers.”


While music postings are omnipresent on Facebook, the company attempts to take down embedded content that is copyrighted, with fans either uploading their own videos or linking to other sites such as YouTube and Spotify.


A senior executive at Universal Music Group called the agreement, whose financial details were not disclosed, a “dynamic new model” for the relationship between the music industry and social media platforms.


“This partnership is an important first step demonstrating that innovation and fair compensation for music creators are mutually reinforcing — they thrive together,” said Michael Nash, the label group’s executive vice-president of digital strategy. — AFP


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