How to Use Music Legally for Facebook Live, Posts, Videos & Ads

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Personal vs. Professional Facebook Use
	Personal	Professional
Stories recorded live	No limits	No limits
Events recorded live	Copyright rules apply	Copyright rules apply
Posts with no visual (only audio or music)	Likely to be blocked	Likely to be blocked
Posts (including stories and reels) with music no longer protected by copyright	Muted or blocked	Muted or blocked
Commercial music videos made for profit with original songs	Allowed, as long as you’re not trying to create a music listening experience	Not allowed unless you sign up for Facebook’s music revenue sharing program

How Does Facebook Music Licensing Work?

Meta (Facebook’s parent company) negotiates musical agreements with copyright holders. As part of these agreements, Facebook creates rules about the recorded music that can be used on the platform.

Those agreements can change with time. For example, the Universal Music Group (UMG) changed its arrangements with Facebook in 2024, banning the sharing of music videos. When changes like this happen, posts with music that’s no longer covered are muted, blocked, or both.

Since Meta negotiates music agreements, you’re free from hassles. You don’t have to look for copyright-free music or arrange for licenses. Instead, you can post videos with any music you’d like. If you’re recording live, Facebook will notify you that you’re breaking the rules and encourage you to stop. If you keep posting, your video will be muted and you’ll have a chance to delete it.

We update this section about Facebook music licensing regularly using this source page. Check back for the latest news.

Where Can Music Be Used on Facebook?

Music can draw people in, elicit an emotional response, and help to create engaging content when used on social media. You can use music in the following places on Facebook:

Stories
Posts
Reels
Facebook Live
Ads

To use music in your story or post on your personal page, you can use music you have created yourself or recorded at a performance or concert. Small clips of music are also allowed. There needs to be a visual component to your post, and the music should not be the sole focus.

Longer clips of music that is copyrighted will need to be properly licensed for use on Facebook. Music in Facebook Live posts, ads, or on a commercial or influencer page is subject to Meta’s copyright agreements.

If you are doing a live video broadcast that does not adhere to the licensing agreements, your video can be muted, blocked, or interrupted, and you will receive a notification with options on how to proceed. To avoid interruptions, stick to the Facebook guidelines and use music you have the rights to.

What Is Copyright Music?

Any music that has been pre-recorded, published, and or released commercially is copyrighted. This protects the artists, producers, songwriters, and composers from other people using or making a profit off their creations.

Every popular song typically has two different types of copyrights: one for the musical composition and the other for the sound recording. The musical composition includes the lyrics and the music, and this copyright is generally held by the publishers and songwriters. The license for this is a sync license.

The sound recording is the actual recording of the song, including the music and the lyrics. This copyright is held by the musical artist and/or the record label. This requires a master-use license.

What Happens if You Break the Rules?

Per Facebook rules, users are responsible for the content they post. Facebook explicitly says that you’re in charge of choosing the right music. However, Facebook keeps close tabs on the music that appears on the platform. That means, if you break the rules, you could get caught.

Facebook administrators can take the following steps in response to unauthorized music:

Mute the post
Remove the post
Block you from posting again

Facebook will notify you of these actions, including a way you can respond to the allegation and dispute it. Your report will contain the name and contact information of the song’s copyright holder. If you have written proof of the authority to publish the song, you can submit it and ask for the company to reconsider.

However, as people posting on Reddit point out, Meta rarely agrees to restore audio to videos, even when they’ve been uploaded by the artist that created them. Repeat violations can lead to suspensions and a loss of your social media audience.

Why You Want to Use Music on Facebook Videos & Ads

Music can improve advertising performance when used in Facebook ads. It can enhance recall of your product and ad, create brand recognition, and improve a customer’s perception of your brand or product. Ultimately, the use of music can boost the effectiveness of your ad.

Music can often create an emotional response and connection with your audience. Therefore, using music in your Facebook videos can keep people engaged and encourage them to keep watching. It can also generate more shares and make your content more recognizable, relevant, and interesting.

FAQs

Can I post on Facebook with music?
‍Yes, you can post music on Facebook as long as you follow the regulations and ensure that you have the rights to the music you are sharing.

What music can I use on Facebook?
‍In short, you can use virtually any music on Facebook as long as you obtain the legal rights to do so. Royalty-free and stock music do not require that you have a copyright license.

Where should I use music on Facebook?
‍Music can enhance the experience of your viewers and improve your visibility. It should be used strategically in Facebook Live posts and ads.

Are there free options for music on Facebook?
‍Yes, you can use music from the Facebook Sounds Library or a website containing a catalog of free and copyright-free music for use, often by sourcing the creator.