What About Facebook Live?

March 12, 2020

Many churches are exploring outreach ideas by using new platforms so they can stream their media and music. One of the most popular services, Facebook Live is a live video streaming service that lets anyone broadcast from their mobile devices straight to their Facebook news feed. Like any new technology or platform, users have a myriad of questions about legally posting copyrighted content. Most churches want to know what license(s) they need to legally post content and “do music right.”  

Facebook Live offers many features that are beneficial and attractive for churches; however, Facebook does not have any music license coverage at this time. And there are many advantages to posting copyrighted music on a church’s own website, especially being able to obtain music performance streaming coverage for more than 25 million songs with the  WORSHIPcast Streaming License. It’s not an “either, or” situation, and here are some of the reasons churches may consider posting music on their own website while finding ways to experiment and leverage Facebook Live.

Facebook Live

PROs

Benefits of using Facebook Live:

  • It can lead to higher engagement.
  • It’s super easy and accessible.
  • You’ll create content you could repurpose.
  • Facebook is promoting and prioritizing live video right now.
  • It’s new so it stands out.
  • You can broadcast Facebook Live using your computer.
  • People looking for a church to join may find your church on Facebook.

 

CONs

  • Facebook currently has no music licensing coverage (see Facebook policy details below).
  • You do not own/control your Facebook page.
  • You are playing in Facebook’s sandbox, you must know and adhere to their Terms & Conditions.
  • There is no ability to report your song usage to ensure that the right songwriters and artists receive royalty revenue.
  • There are other videos and ads you have no control over in the Facebook feed to distract your audience.
  • Live stream and user-generated content can be shut down without any warning by Facebook. They may do a “takedown” for content they believe is unlicensed.  

Your Website with WORSHIPcast Streaming Licensing

  • Covers your church website, which you control and, with the license, can maintain legal status.
  • Stream live performances of more than 22 million songs,
  • The ability to archive your services as long as the license is active.
  • No advertising!
  • No takedown notices!
  • None of your services are blocked.
  • Report your song usage which ensures songwriter royalties paid out properly and timely.
  • If your church owns song copyrights, you will receive royalty revenue every quarter if you have WORSHIPcast Streaming License and report your song activity use.

Of course, it is the church or user’s responsibility to understand and abide by the Terms & Conditions of any service you use. In many cases, it is advisable to obtain legal counsel regarding how to legally use the service and avoid copyright infringement.

Facebook’s Copyright Policies and Procedures

Here’s an excerpt from Facebook’s Policies and Procedures section regarding copyrights.

Facebook Help Center

Video Take Down Process

*If you tried to post a video and it was immediately removed, it may have been identified as potentially containing someone else’s copyrighted content. This could include video, audio, or both video and audio.

*If your video was removed for copyright reasons, you’ll receive an email and a notification about the removal. Please use the information in the email and notification to learn more about your options, such as confirming you wish to post the content if you have the rights to use it.

(https://m.facebook.com/help/444933372561104?helpref=hc_fnav)

*You dispute whether or not your content should have been taken down.

*There Is an online reporting system for those who find copyright infringement.

The tools Facebook uses for intellectual property in videos *www.audiblemagic.com

*Audible Magic allows content owners to fingerprint their media files for copyright management. Videos uploaded to Facebook are then run through Audible Magic at the time of upload. If a match is detected, the upload is stopped and the user is notified.

*We also have Rights Manager, our own rights management technology, for Facebook. Rights Manager allows copyright owners to upload and maintain a reference library of video content they want to monitor and protect, including live video streams. (https://rightsmanager.fb.com)

If you’d like to learn more, you can call and talk to a copyright expert for a FREE 20-minute consultation at 877-394-5566 or chat live with one of our copyright experts right from our site.

About Christian Copyright Solutions: CCS’s quest is to help churches and Christian ministries “do music right.”  CCS is an expert on church music copyrights and our primary focus is providing licensing and clear educational resources to churches, as well as representation, administration, and advocacy for copyright owners. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. The information contained herein is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice or a substitute for legal counsel.

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