How do you post a video on Facebook with copyrighted music?

We all know that any copyright infringement is a punishable crime. In different countries, this is monitored differently, the countries of the post-Soviet space in this regard lag behind the countries of the West, America and Canada. Everyone should know how to legally use copyrighted music on Facebook.

Facebook has clarified why they will block or interrupt a video that incorrectly use copyright free music. It also became known to which videos these rules do not apply.

Explanations on the rules of using music on Facebook platforms were announced in their official blogs.

The rules are as follows:

  • There are no restrictions on music in Stories or broadcasts of musical performances (for example, recording "live" performances of artists or groups).

  • The more full-length tracks in a video, the more likely it is to be restricted (for example, the broadcast may be interrupted, or access to the video may be restricted, or the video may be deleted altogether at the request of the copyright holder).

  • The shorter the record, the better.

Facebook has rules about posts that contain someone else's copyrighted content. Basic requirements for placed clips:

  • Do not use compositions owned by companies and recording studios. For example, popular tracks created only by the page owner;

  • No propaganda or embedded advertising.

If a user posts such content, his clip will be blocked. In the section: "Notification" you will receive a warning containing the reason for blocking.

Other users can also file complaints about recordings. If the content does not comply with the community rules, it will be sent for review by moderators. After not finding any violations, it was restored for display. The restrictions mainly work on the Facebook Watch section, where users can share videos up to one hour.

Facebook launches free service to add music to videos

Facebook has released the Sound Collection video editing tool, which allows you to add sound effects to your video. The service can be used when uploading a video to Facebook or another social network.

According to Facebook, the Sound Collection library contains thousands of sound effects and tracks, including vocal and instrumental tracks in a wide variety of musical genres. When creating a video, users can search the catalog for suitable tracks, using all sorts of filters to select the perfect audio track.

At the time of publication, they promised that the Sound Collection will be available to users around the world as soon as possible.

The rights to the audio library belong to Facebook, the social network said in a statement. This means that this music can be used in videos for Facebook without worrying about possible copyright infringement - the company has agreed with labels and composers. Here's a great example of using copyrighted music completely legal.

These policies apply to all types of Facebook accounts - that is, pages, profiles, verified and unverified accounts. Also, updated rules for using music on social media include clearer and earlier notifications to give the user more time to correct the video to avoid blocking it.

Be Careful with the Videos You Upload to Facebook! “Your video was removed because it appears to contain copyrighted material owned by a third party. If you think that we’ve removed this video by mistake, you can file a counter-notice by following the link provided in the warning email.”

If you have never received one of these Emails/Notifications from Facebook, consider yourself lucky. 

How do you post a video on Facebook with copyrighted music?
Be Careful with the Videos You Upload to Facebook

Is it yours?

Social media videos are becoming more and more popular. A lot of YouTube stars have turned to other social networks as well. Their high-performing videos, mixed with professional content, means it was only a matter of time before other social networks implemented a copyright-scanning feature. Every video that is posted on social media is pre-scanned and checked for any infringing content before the video shows up on your Timeline or Newsfeed. If the video you’re posting contains any infringing content, it won’t be published and you will receive a warning.

The pre-scanning is focuses mostly on the audio part of the video. That means if your video contains music that belongs to someone you did not get permission from, your video won’t get published. In a few words, if your video has a song you did not create as its background music, don’t bother posting it.

A lot of content creators don’t solely rely on social networks’ copyright-scanner. They watermark their videos, to protect even more their digital content. This is a clear indication that you should not risk and use their videos without permission. 

If you want to protect your digital content, you can automatically watermark your social media videos using Publer. No editing skills required!

Publer’s Platform Video Presentation

Credits and Recognitions

Back to videos that may get you in trouble. Even if your video does not contain any music, it doesn’t end here. Anyone is able to report content that they believe violates or infringes on their copyright. Facebook takes these reports very seriously. For example, let’s say you found a funny video on the Internet and decided to upload it to your Page. Let’s suppose that it became viral. Some day or another the person that created it sees the video you uploaded. He notices that no one credited or mentioned the source. He reports your video to Facebook.

If he proves to Facebook that he holds all the rights to that video, Facebook will take your video down and send you a warning. Unfortunately, there’s no way for you to know if a video is copyright protected or not unless you seek legal advice.

Besides making sure the video you’re posting is not copyrighted, you also need to make sure it follows the Community Standards. If someone reports your video for breaking social networks’ Policies, they will take your video down and give you a warning.

They Caught me! What now?

Let’s take as an example: Facebook.

First of all, Facebook will remove the video you uploaded. They will also send you a warning. Is this your first time? Then the warning will simply ask you to not do it again. If you repeatedly infringe someone’s copyright or upload videos that don’t follow the Facebook Community Standards, Facebook will ban your account from posting videos. Depending on its severeness the ban may be temporarily (up to 30 days) or permanently. If you keep uploading copyrighted videos or videos that don’t follow the Facebook Community Standards on a Fan Page, Facebook may unpublish that Page.

What Videos Shouldn’t I Upload

  • Music videos & TV shows: definitely NO. They won’t even pass Facebook’s pre-scan.
  • Pranks: a big NO. People that do pranks, do that for a living and they won’t allow you to use their work without their permission.
  • Celebrity videos: another NO. Celebrities sign contracts with companies to allow them to use their image.
  • Food, recipes and other arts & crafts videos: sadly NO. Again, they do that for a living.
  • Videos that don’t follow the Facebook Community Standards

So What Can I Upload Then

Home videos, cute animal videos, videos that don’t have any watermarks, or simply get creative and create your own video. If you decide to upload a video that you think has a copyright or that might get you in trouble, try citing the source or give credit to the owner. Even in that case we cannot guarantee that they won’t report it.

Disclaimer of Be Careful with the Videos You Upload to Facebook

Use these guidelines at your own risk. We don’t guarantee that these guidelines will keep you safe. Also, we are not a Facebook affiliate, so we don’t take any responsibility for anything that might happen. These guidelines are simply here to help you minimize Facebook Policies and copyrights violations based on research we conducted.

You can also take advantage of Publer’s new Superpower: AutoDeletion of Posts. Do you think this is a copyrighted Video or goes against Facebook Community Standards? Post that Video for a short time only (i.e. 1 or 2 days) using Publer.

Can I post a video with music in the background on Facebook?

There are no limits on music in Stories, or traditional musical performances (example: filming a live artist or band performing their own music). The more full-length recorded tracks in your video, the more likely the video may be limited (example: muted or blocked). Shorter clips of music are recommended.

Can I use a copyrighted song in a Facebook video?

Longer clips of music that is copyrighted will need to be properly licensed for use on Facebook. Using music in Facebook Live posts, ads, or on a commercial or influencer page will require permission from the creator.
It's generally a good idea to get written permission from the author of the work before posting content on Facebook. You might be able to use someone else's content on Facebook if you've gotten permission from them, such as through obtaining a license.

How can I legally use copyrighted music in a video?

Put simply; you can legally use music in videos if you have permission from the person, people, or company who owns the rights. Since the publisher and the record label usually hold music rights, you'll have to get permission from both. From the publisher or composer, you'll get a synchronization (or sync license).