Facebook forays into music in India; users can now share hits in posts

Facebook has forayed into music in India, with the social media platform announcing licensing deals with T-Series, Zee Music Company and Yash Raj Films, whose financial details were not disclosed. The move promises personalised and interactive music features for the users of Facebook as well as its subsidiaries Instagram and WhatsApp.  

As a result of the deals, users can share licensed music in their posts and videos, such as Swag Se Swagat from Tiger Zinda Hai and Bas Ek Sanam Chaahiye from Aashiqui.

The development follows Facebook’s first music licensing deal in December with Vivendi’s iconic Universal Music division, which is home to some of the biggest names in music from The Beatles to Elton John to Lady Gaga. The financial details of this deal were not disclosed as well.

The development also follows a recent announcement by rival Google on its plans to launch YouTube Music in India, a made-for-music app with ad-support free models and premium services. 

Interestingly, Google’s video site YouTube had also signed a licensing deal with Universal in December. YouTube, the music industry says, pays too little compensation for its content on the site.  

Manish Chopra, director and head of partnerships, Facebook India, said in a statement, “We are excited about partnering with the music industry in India and the idea that people here will be now be able to include music in their videos on Facebook and Instagram, opening up more options for more ways to express and sharing memories with friends and family."

Music labels and movie production houses in India have received a boost due to the growing user base in over-the-top content consumption. Apart from video-streaming platforms like Amazon Prime Video and Netflix, Spotify recently launched its music streaming services in India .