Can You Use Copyrighted Music in Facebook Ads?
Can I use copyrighted music in my Facebook ads?
Only if you hold the rights: usually a license for the song's composition and one for the recording. Meta's ad rules make you secure them, its Music Guidelines bar commercial use of music without licenses, and Reels ads cannot use licensed music. The safe options are Meta Sound Collection tracks, original audio, or music you have licensed for advertising.
A popular song in an ad is a licensing question first and a Meta question second. Meta does not sell you the right to use a track in an ad, and nothing in its music terms grants one. If you did not write and record the music, you need permission from whoever owns the song and whoever owns the recording, or you need audio Meta itself offers for ads. Everything else risks a muted, blocked or removed ad.
What does Meta’s ad policy say about music?
It puts the licensing on you. Meta’s Third-Party Infringement standard says ads may not contain content that violates anyone’s intellectual property, including copyright, and adds a line written for music: “If your ad contains music you are required to secure the necessary licenses (e.g. for the sound recording and/or the musical composition)”. The same page says ads may be rejected or removed after a rights holder reports them, or when there are signs an ad may infringe.
Meta’s Music Guidelines, which apply when you post or promote content containing music, go further: “Use of music for commercial or non-personal purposes in particular is prohibited unless you have obtained appropriate licenses.” They also state that nothing in those terms authorizes any use of music on Meta’s products. A brand ad is commercial use by definition.
Which rights do you need to use a song in an ad?
Usually two. The US Copyright Office explains that sound recordings and musical compositions “are considered two separate works for copyright purposes” (Circular 56A, revised March 2021). The composition is the music and lyrics, and its author is whoever created them. The sound recording is one fixed performance, and its authors are the performers featured and the producers who captured or edited the sounds. Each can have a different owner.
So a chart track needs both rights. A cover version you record yourself needs the composition rights but not the original recording. An original track your team writes and records needs neither, provided the contract with the composer gives you advertising use. Meta’s wording, “sound recording and/or the musical composition”, maps to these cases.
| Music source | Can you use it in a Facebook ad? | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| A commercial track (chart song) | Only with licenses for both the composition and the recording | Written licenses that cover paid advertising |
| A cover version you record | Only with a license for the composition | Composition license covering advertising |
| Meta Sound Collection track | Yes; Meta recommends it for Reels ads | Nothing beyond using it on Facebook or Instagram |
| Music added in Ads Manager | Yes, on the placements Meta lists | Nothing; Meta sources it from Sound Collection |
| Original audio you made | Yes | Ownership, including any composer’s assignment |
| An organic reel using in-app licensed music | Cannot be boosted | Re-edit with other audio |
Sources: Meta Advertising Standards, Third-Party Infringement; Meta Music Guidelines; Meta Sound Collection; Meta Business Help Center, Types of posts that can’t be boosted, About Rights Manager for music publishers and How to monetize Facebook reels with music; Instagram Help Center, How to add music to ads using Ads Manager, Boost an Instagram reel and Access to the licensed music library on Instagram; Meta Ads Guide, Instagram Reels ad specs; US Copyright Office, Circular 56A (checked 2 Oct 2026).
Can you use music from the Instagram or Facebook music library in ads?
No. Instagram says the music in its licensed library comes under agreements with rights holders and “is intended for personal, non-commercial use” (Access to the licensed music library on Instagram), and Meta’s ad specs keep it out of ads. Meta’s specs for Instagram Reels ads list “Licensed music” among the things an ad should not contain and recommend “original audio or royalty-free music available in our Meta Sound Collection instead” (Instagram Reels ad specs). Boosting follows the same line: reels with copyrighted music cannot be boosted from a Facebook Page (Types of posts that can’t be boosted), and Instagram says reels “can’t use licensed music” if you want to boost them (Boost an Instagram reel).
What music can you add to an ad in Ads Manager?
Meta’s own library. Ads Manager offers music for campaigns across all objectives, and Meta says it currently consists of royalty-free audio from the Meta Sound Collection (How to add music to ads using Ads Manager). You can pick up to 5 songs manually, with Meta using one of them at delivery, or let Meta choose a track based on the ad. Meta lists the feature for single image ads in Instagram Reels, Stories and Feed, and says it is not available for Instagram ads using existing posts.
Instagram’s help page on the music library says Meta Sound Collection content “can be used for commercial purposes like ads” (Access to the licensed music library on Instagram). Download from there when you edit the video yourself. Whether a track the Advantage+ music enhancement picks suits your brand is a separate decision, covered in which Advantage+ creative enhancements should I turn off?
What happens if you use unlicensed music in a Facebook ad?
Three things can happen, all at Meta’s or the rights holder’s initiative:
- The ad is rejected or removed. Meta can act after a rights holder’s report or on its own signals (Third-Party Infringement).
- The content is muted or blocked. Meta’s Music Guidelines say content with music owned by someone else “may be blocked, muted or removed” if the use is not properly authorized (Music Guidelines).
- Rights holders can find it automatically. Meta’s Rights Manager uses audio fingerprinting to scan, match and monitor audio in videos uploaded to Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, and applies the rules that labels and publishers set (About Rights Manager for music publishers).
If you hold the rights and the action was wrong, Meta says you may be able to dispute it from the notification you received; depending on the case the content may be restored, you may be put in touch with the rights holder, or Meta’s operations team may review it. For a rejected ad, the general route is in Facebook ad rejected, how do I appeal?
How do you clear music before an ad goes live?
- List every piece of audio in the edit, including a few seconds of a song in the background of creator footage.
- Replace any track from the in-app Reels or Stories library with Sound Collection audio or original audio.
- Get written licenses for both the composition and the recording for any commercial track, covering paid social ads.
- Check the license term and territories against the campaign’s run dates and the countries you target.
- Keep the licenses on file so you can answer a report or dispute a block.
- Add music in Ads Manager only from Meta’s library when you want a track chosen there.
Music rights are separate from the creator’s own usage rights, so a creator video with a song in it needs both cleared. The creator side is covered in what usage rights do I need in a UGC creator contract? The Facebook ad policy hub lists the other content rules.
FAQ
Is 15 seconds of a song fair to use in an ad?
There is no safe length in Meta’s terms. Its Music Guidelines say shorter clips are recommended for posts, but also that nothing in the terms authorizes any use of music, and that commercial use is prohibited without appropriate licenses. Meta’s ad standard asks for licenses for the recording and composition, whatever the length.
Can I use a song I bought or stream in my ad?
No. Meta says you can still receive a music rights claim when you buy or download a song, credit the owner or think the use is fair use (How to monetize Facebook reels with music). Its Music Guidelines prohibit commercial use of music without appropriate licenses.
Is Meta Sound Collection music free to use in Facebook ads?
Yes. Instagram says Sound Collection content can be used for commercial purposes like ads, Meta recommends it for Reels ads, and it is the source for music added in Ads Manager. Use the tracks as published there, and keep a note of which track you used.
Can I boost a reel that uses a trending song?
Usually not. Meta says reels with copyrighted music cannot be boosted from a Facebook Page, and Instagram says reels cannot use licensed music if you want to boost them. Re-edit the reel with original audio or a Sound Collection track, then boost or run it as an ad.
Sources
Sources: Meta Advertising Standards, Third-Party Infringement; Meta Music Guidelines; Meta Sound Collection; Meta Business Help Center, How to add music to ads using Ads Manager and Types of posts that can’t be boosted; Instagram Help Center, Boost an Instagram reel; Meta Ads Guide, Instagram Reels ad specs; Meta Business Help Center, About Rights Manager for music publishers and How to monetize Facebook reels with music; Instagram Help Center, Access to the licensed music library on Instagram; US Copyright Office, Circular 56A (checked 2 Oct 2026).