Facebook and Instagram launch music products in India

Now, users can add songs to their stories on Facebook and Instagram, Lip Sync Live on Facebook and pin favourite music to their Facebook profiles.

Facebook has announced new ways for people in India to express themselves through music on Facebook and Instagram, with music stickers on Stories and other creative tools such as Lyrics on Instagram, Lip Sync Live, and the ability to add songs to their Facebook Profiles.

Speaking about music on Facebook and Instagram, Manish Chopra, Director and Head of Partnerships, Facebook India, said, “Facebook and music share something special – they both bring people together and enable personal expression. And that’s why music is important for us. We want to make it possible for the Facebook and Instagram communities to express themselves and connect around music on our platforms. With India’s strong music ecosystem, we're thrilled to open up the ability for people in the country to include music in the moments they share on our platforms. We have partnered with the Indian music community to enable these new products, and we look forward to seeing all the ways people in India use them to express themselves in fun and engaging way.”

Earlier this year, Facebook India announced partnerships with top music labels, T-Series Music, Zee Music Company and Yash Raj Films, licensing their music for use in social experiences on Facebook and Instagram.

Speaking at the launch, Paresh Rajawat, Head of Video and Music Products, Facebook, said, “We continue to see fast adoption of Stories across our family of apps. Today, with the launch of music stickers on Stories, we are excited about giving new ways for people to express and connect with their friends.”

How it works

• Music on Facebook and Instagram Stories
• Users will now be able to add a song to their photos and videos on their Stories. Simply open the camera on Facebook or Instagram or select a photo or video from your gallery, touch the sticker icon and add the Music sticker. After choosing a song, you will be able to select which part of it you would like to highlight on your story, and add the artist's name and track title. Knowing that Hindi film music is integral to music in India, people will be able search for music by Actor and Actress names, in addition to search by Film Name, Singer Name as well as a Song name. People can also search for songs by language.
• Lyrics on Instagram: Additionally, if the song has lyrics available, they will automatically pop up. Tap through the icons to change the animation and text style, and move the lyrics around, rotate or resize it like you would a normal sticker.
• Lip Sync Live on Facebook: Will allow you to perform and dub songs live on Facebook. Friends can check your performance in real time and follow the lyrics of the songs while you have fun together.
• To create one, just select the "Lip Sync Live" option when starting a Live on Facebook - choose a song, add a description and customize the video with filters or a background. During broadcasts, friends will be able see the name of the artist and song featured on the video and be able to directly tap to follow the singer or band on Facebook.

• Music on Facebook Profile: Will allow people to add tracks to a new music section on your Facebook Profile. In addition, you can pin songs at the top of your Profile, so your friends learn more about you. Songs fixed to your Profile will visually show the artist and the track. When your friends play a song on your Profile, they will be able to hear a small clip or choose to listen to the complete track through streaming platforms. They can add the same song to their Profiles or click to visit the singer or band’s Page.

Today, music products on Facebook and Instagram are available in 55+ countries and the two social media entities will continue to partner with the music community around the world to bring music into the ways people share and express themselves across their platforms.