Is Facebook Shutting Down Livestreams That Include Music?
The internet is buzzing with the “new” restrictions on music embedded in videos (live and archived). Many of these articles point to these new restrictions coming online on October 1. The truth is that Facebook has had these music guidelines in force since 2018 and they have made no changes since. Here are the guidelines for music on Facebook:
Music Guidelines
These supplemental terms apply if you post or share any videos or other content containing music on any Facebook Products.
You are responsible for the content you post
People use our Products to share content with their family and friends. Keep in mind you remain solely responsible for the content that you post, including any music that features in that content. Nothing in these terms constitutes any authorization by us with respect to any use of music on any of our Products.
Use of music for commercial or non-personal purposes in particular is prohibited unless you have obtained appropriate licenses.
You may not use videos on our Products to create a music listening experience
We want you to be able to enjoy videos posted by family and friends. However, if you use videos on our Products to create a music listening experience for yourself or for others, your videos will be blocked and your page, profile or group may be deleted. This includes Live.
Unauthorized content may be removed
If you post content that contains music owned by someone else, your content may be blocked, or may be reviewed by the applicable rights owner and removed if your use of that music is not properly authorized.
You may not be able to post or access videos containing music in every country of the world
We want you to be able to share videos with your family and friends wherever they are, but any music in your video, if it is allowed at all, may not be available in all countries of the world.
As I mentioned in my copyright seminar a few months ago, even if you have proper licenses from CCLI (basic and streaming), you can still receive copyright strikes on YouTube and Facebook which can result in deleting your video, muting the music or monetizing the video. Here is the disclaimer from CCLI:
You can upload videos to YouTube and similar services provided that copyright owners have the right to monetize and place ads on videos containing their owned copyrights (these terms of agreement do not override those of the streaming platforms)
In other words, you might be legal in streaming, but they can still impose penalties on you. You can appeal afterwards, but you may not be successful. There is no way to tell them you have a license and they ignore what they consider violations.
In my opinion, every church should be having their services on Facebook due to the amazing social nature and sharing ability that platform holds, but it is too risky to ONLY stream to Facebook. Churches should have alternate, more reliable sites host their services. I will get into this more in a post later this week.
For now, do not panic. Facebook is not going to throw you off their platform after October 1. (Check out the article, Facebook Clears Up Confusion Around October Update and Music Guidelines for Live Streaming. But, do consider an alternate site to simulcast your services. Stay tuned for more on this.
If you have not checked out my copyright seminar, take a look to get more familiar with copyright laws and the church.
