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Instagram has definitely changed the landscape in communicating, selling, advertising, and connecting with one another. This popular platform doesn’t just allow you to have fun with your loved ones but also promotes goods, creates a personal brand with a wider reach. Whether you are a content creator that’s trying to mimic organic and user-generated content for making ads, a comedian trying to come up with a digital fandom, or an influencer trying to travel across the globe, Instagram is a necessity in making that happen.

Now we all know the importance of music on Instagram. It amplifies your content, causing more attention to come your way. It helps to bring a boost in followers, likes, and shoutouts as well. But you do have to be careful at times with copyrighted content. What it means is that you can’t just blindly use songs in your content and proceed to post them. It becomes even stricter when paid ads are involved in the process.

Instagram & Copyrighted Music

Everybody fails to locate factual information when it comes to using copyrighted music on IG. There are certain documents, which suggest the freedom that comes with giving credit. But there is also information, which states the opposite. It becomes even more complicated with the change of rules over the course of time and varying Insta features. You have to realize that the nature and rules of copyright music are always changing. So, it is important to look for Instagram’s advice.

The whole point of artists making music is to make money; well, aside from it is their passion. There is a clear law that says how the creator must be paid for the work. Almost every major platform possesses strict rules when it comes to the use of copyright material, which you have no right to use. Also, in certain cases, the platform engages in deals with the correct holders in paying them the flat rate. It is to permit copyrighted content to be made available on their platform.

Here, IG has definitely made deals with the entertainment industry to permit the usage of copyrighted music within the platform. The specifics present in the deal are always confidential. However, Instagram did provide certain guidelines for the users to follow. They are as follows:

• You can use music that is recorded from live shows. It applies to sharing concert updates on your stories, reels, IGTV videos, and traditional posts. There are no rules against using music in your stories.
• If you use full-length recorded songs excessively, then you will face limitations in live broadcasts. You will face termination in your broadcast if you are playing songs track by track in your IGTV stream.
• The video clips that contain music must always be short in general. There is no clear-cut answer with the timespan but just ensure that your content is short.
• Whenever you choose to utilize copyright music, there should be a video component. If you play music without having any visual content, then this action won’t be permitted.
• Also, music isn’t allowed in certain countries. Yes, music is present for use in over 90 countries, but some places don’t have rights presently. So, these guidelines will become irrelevant to your country.

How To Use & Post Copyrighted Music?

You can use the content as long as you are following the guidelines surrounding them. Yes, you have to first comply with the guidelines of Instagram, but there are some workarounds to the problem. Here’s how you can post copyrighted music:

Take Permission – The first and foremost thing that you need to do is to ask for permission. Don’t have the wrong idea that the creator will decline you. Most musicians are pretty chill, and they welcome such requests. As long as you aren’t using the music in your video for commercial reasons, you will be good to go. If you don’t seek permission and you use their content illegally, your account won’t just be blocked, but you will also receive a slap of lawsuit on your doorstep.

Choose To Collaborate – There are so many local artists and bands out there, and some just might be in the area. You can collaborate and perform to garner a certain degree of publicity stunt. You can even come up with video content for your Instagram by utilizing their music. In this way, it becomes possible to make use of original songs on your account without getting copyrighted.

Prioritize Inclusion of Credits – One of the most important factors that you need to consider is to give credit where it’s due. And by that, we are referring to how you should include the original creator’s details in your content. Whenever you use an artist’s music, you have to credit them. If you don’t, then it will appear as if you are garnering ownership over the work. Follow this golden rule, and you will stay out of trouble.