Sony/ATV Music Publishing Inks Licensing Deal With Facebook

Sony/ATV Music Publishing and Facebook have entered a multi-territory, multi-year licensing agreement that allows Sony/ATV songwriters to earn royalties from the use of their music on both Facebook and Instagram. The deal is the second major publisher to sign with Facebook and the first agreement made with the social media giant and Sony/ATV, which oversees a catalog of more than 3 million songs.

Under the agreement, users can upload and share videos on Facebook, Instagram, and Oculus that contain compositions licensed from Sony/ATV’s catalog, as well as personalize their music experiences with songs from the catalog.

Sony/ATV Chairman and CEO Martin Bandier said, “We are thrilled that in signing this agreement Facebook recognizes the value that music brings to their service and that our songwriters will now benefit from the use of their music on Facebook. We are looking forward to a long and prosperous relationship.”

Sony/ATV’s contemporary roster includes The Chainsmokers, Drake, Pink, Ed Sheeran, Sia, Sam Smith, Taylor Swift, Kanye West and Pharrell Williams, while it also represents the songs of legends such as The Beatles, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, Carole King and Queen, the Jobete catalog of Motown songs and standards including “Over The Rainbow,” “Moon River” and “Singin’ In The Rain.”

Tamara Hrivnak, Head of Music Business Development and Partnerships, Facebook said: “We’re excited to work with the largest music publisher in the world to bring amazing songs which deepen connections between friends and fans. 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.”