Facebook moves ahead on music with last major label deal

Facebook on Friday announced a licensing deal with Warner Music, the last of the major label groups to sign with the social media behemoth which is promising more personalized music.

Facebook's two billion users will soon be able to post in more creative ways with the catalog of Warner, whose artist roster includes Ed Sheeran, Coldplay and the late Prince.

"Our partnership with Facebook will help expand the universe of music streaming and create supplementary revenue for artists," said Ole Obermann, chief digital officer of the Warner Music Group.

"Fan-created video is one of the most personal, social and often viral ways that music is enjoyed, but its commercial potential is largely untapped," he said in a statement.

Warner said it had been holding out for "the best possible deal" after its two rivals, Universal Music and Sony Music, signed deals with Facebook in recent months.

Facebook has said that it is looking at more personalized ways in which users can post music, including through Messenger and Instagram, the picture-driven social media platform owned by Facebook.

Mark Zuckerberg's company has largely taken a back seat on music streaming as other mega-companies such as Apple and Google invest heavily in the growing sector.

While music postings are omnipresent on Facebook, the company has sought to take down embedded content that is copyrighted without licensing.

Fans, when not uploading their own homemade videos, link to other sites such as YouTube and Spotify.

© 2018 AFP