Can I DJ On Facebook? (Quick Guide)

If you are a DJ, it is important to make a name for yourself and increase your own popularity. After all, this will help to further your career, and it will get people excited by the mixes you create, and the music you use. 

One way in which you can reach listeners and though interested in your sets is through Facebook. Over the years, many DJs have chosen to use Facebook to showcase their DJ skills.

When you take into consideration the amount of reach you can achieve using Facebook, it is understandable.

However, due to recent restrictions, and copyright laws, streaming a DJ set on Facebook has become increasingly more difficult. Even so, it is still possible to do so.

In this article, I will be discussing everything you need to know about using Facebook to showcase your DJ skills.

Can I DJ On Facebook?

Yes, you can certainly DJ on Facebook. In fact, it is something I would highly encourage you to do. Not only will it help to further your reach, but it allows you to showcase new mixes you have created, and gain a better understanding of what people think of them. 

It is a great way to practice your sets to get a better understanding of whether or not they will be popular in a club or at an event. In addition to this, it allows you to remotely provide entertainment for others.

Over the last two years, this is something that more people have begun to appreciate. Not only is it enjoyable for those listening, but for yourself too. 

Licensing Restrictions

Initially, there were no specific restrictions when it came to streaming DJ sets on Facebook. The creators were pretty relaxed and allowed songs to be streamed on the social media platform with no issues.

However, in 2020, this is something that changed.

Understandably, there were concerns raised about copyright, and there were claims regarding songs being used and whether or not this was acceptable. Unfortunately, this did have a knock-on effect on specific videos and streams.

This all comes down to the ownership of songs, and how this could potentially backfire on Facebook if this was allowed.

These restrictions were put in place in late 2020, and naturally many DJs were concerned with how this would affect their businesses. However, the majority of these restrictions are linked to recorded music, rather than music that is played live.

Given this, if you are streaming your sets live, you should not have an issue with them being flagged for copyright laws or restrictions. 

Music that is played live is not typically flagged by Facebook, neither are snippets or songs that feature in stories.

However, if you are consistently using pre-recorded songs that you are not licensed to use, in full, this is when your videos or streams are more likely to get flagged.

DJing Live

When you take into consideration these restrictions, it is clear to see that the vast majority of DJ sets do not fall into the above categories. In addition to this, while the music you are playing may not be your own, you are creating your own mixes of songs. 

This means that the songs do not sound exactly the same as the original songs. Therefore, there should not be as much of an issue if you are choosing to play these mixes live.

Typically, songs played in DJ sets are a mixture of more than one song, and they are not carbon, pre-recorded copies of songs, and should not be flagged.

This is why it is so important to carry out research before you decide to stream or share your videos on social media. You need to have a clear understanding of what is acceptable to use on Facebook and what is not.

The majority of DJs prefer to go live on Facebook, rather than sharing recorded videos, as it helps to prevent their setlists from being potentially taken down due to copyright infringement. 

Pre-recorded mixes are a tricky one because the DJ does not own the rights to the songs. Therefore, there is a gray area when using the music because technically speaking, the person will need to have explicit permission from the artist to use the music. 

In some instances, if you are someone that earns money from the videos you share on Facebook, they can become copyright claimed. This means that any ad revenue that is created from the video is given to the artist or the record label instead of yourself.

When you take into consideration that you are using someone else’s music, this is understandable. 

Using Your Own Music

The best way to avoid being copyrighted when streaming on Facebook is to use either royalty-free music or music you have personally created. This will allow you to showcase your talents and abilities, without your video being taken down or stopped.

While this is slightly different from using well-known songs, it is still great for experience and allows listeners to have a better understanding of your talents. 

Summary

I hope you have found this article useful. As you can see, gone are the days when you could freely use Facebook to showcase your talents as a DJ.

While the copyright laws are completely understandable and help artists to protect their intellectual property. This is important, especially as there is so much illegal streaming and downloading that occurs. 

However, it can be frustrating for DJs that have created their own setlists that they want to showcase. While your mix of a song is individual, as you are still using someone else’s music, it is still likely to be flagged for copyright issues. 

This is why it is better to use royalty-free music or your own creations. While Facebook has stated that live music is okay to stream, care should still be taken if this is something you decide to do. 

To answer the question, yes, you can DJ on Facebook. However, you need to have a clear understanding of copyright laws.