When your app enables user creativity, music is often at the center. Whether you’re powering TikTok-style clips, livestreams, or any kind of user-generated content (UGC), the rules of music licensing for social media are non-negotiable. Missteps here can mean costly lawsuits, takedowns, and damaged trust with both users and rightsholders.
Here’s what every product owner and content team needs to know:
Disclaimer: Please note this is not a substitute for legal advice, but a quick overview of the complex music licensing world.
You have to be properly licensed to use music, period.
If music touches your product, you need a plan that goes beyond surface-level integrations. In this article, we’ll be speaking directly to some of the compliance requirements for digital brands that are:
- Allowing users to upload content with audio
- Incorporating music features in an app
Don’t ignore takedown notices for uploaded content.
If your platform lets users upload their own music to your platform, labels and publishers may be sending (lots!) of takedown notices. Ignoring these takedown notices exposes your company to lawsuits for copyright infringement by labels and publishers actively monitoring platforms for use of unlicensed content.
Consider using content ID and monitoring services or finding a partner that can help detect and manage unauthorized use of music across uploads, ensuring compliance and protecting your business.
Free music APIs: you get what you pay for.
Can I use free music APIs like Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, or YouTube?
These platforms are designed strictly for personal, consumer listening. Their terms of service prohibit using their APIs to stream full tracks, build in-app playback, or enable user-generated content experiences. Spotify’s API, for example, only provides metadata access (like artist, track name, or playlists) and requires users to stream directly from Spotify itself.
And recently, Spotify made that barrier even higher. Developers can no longer apply for extended API access unless they represent a legally registered business with an already-launched service, at least 250,000 monthly active users, and proven commercial viability. Even then, Spotify makes no guarantees that requests will be approved—and reserves the right to change eligibility at any time.
In short, building an app that relies on Spotify or any “free” API is a risky investment. These free music APIs can change their rules or revoke access without notice, leaving your product unusable overnight. Beyond the compliance and licensing risks, you’re building your experience on someone else’s terms. For businesses that need reliable, scalable, and fully licensed music streaming, a commercial solution like Feed.fm offers the legal foundation and technical flexibility you can count on.
Choose a music licensing strategy built for businesses.
Partner with a licensed provider like Feed.fm and enlist a solution like Feed Clips.
These solutions are built on unified music systems that provide end-to-end support. Look for APIs built for businesses and pre-cleared catalogs of commercial music, licensed for in-app use, with built-in reporting and royalty payments to rightsholders.
Thinking about managing music licensing in-house? Here’s what to expect
Some companies consider licensing music directly with rightsholders. While possible, DIY music licensing for businesses is rarely practical. In addition to finding an expert who can help you navigate the complex world of music licensing, here’s what you should be ready for:
- Expect significant legal costs. Plan for more than $100,000 in legal and licensing fees.
- Plan for long timelines. Securing deals with labels, publishers, and performing rights organizations can take up to 2 years.
- Learn the license types you’ll need. A single agreement won’t cover everything. You’ll need synchronization, mechanical, and public performance licenses—often from different rightsholders.
- Build the infrastructure. You’ll need to handle reporting, tracking, analytics, and royalty distribution. This isn’t optional—without it, rightsholders won’t grant licenses.
- Accept limitations. Even after all this, you may not secure rights to all the tracks your users want. Many rightsholders won’t license their biggest hits to startups or early-stage platforms.
The bottom line
If you want music to be a part of your app’s UX, don’t overlook your responsibilities when it comes to music licensing for social media.
The good news: music licensing for social media apps is getting easier
The conversation around music licensing for social media has evolved dramatically in just a few years. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Meta, and Fortnite have helped push the industry forward, showing that music and user-generated content can coexist legally and at scale. Their trailblazing efforts have clarified how rightsholders, artists, and platforms can collaborate in ways that respect both creativity and copyright.
Today, new specialized music tech companies are building on that progress and bridging the gap between music rights and product innovation. Solutions like Feed Clips make it possible for developers to legally integrate licensed music into their products through a single API.
It’s never been simpler to give users the music they love while keeping your platform protected. The path forward is built on partnerships, technology, and shared understanding between creators, businesses, and the music industry itself.
Unlock the power of music for your community without putting your business at risk. Learn how to get compliant music features built specifically for UGC and social apps with Feed Clips.
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