Can I DJ setup On Facebook? Yes, but these days, within reason.
Thanks to the internet and online live streaming platforms, DJing has become far more diverse than ever before.
Rather than only being able to perform at clubs and party venues, today’s DJs can reach an audience entirely through the stable internet connection.
One of the more popular methods, over the more recent years, especially throughout the pandemic period, is through the popular social media platform, Facebook.
When you consider the massive amounts of people, and we are talking BILLIONS, that regularly use the website even to this day it becomes an obvious choice for someone trying to make a name for themselves.
Here we look at the copyright hoops that all DJs have to jump through to DJ sets on Facebook live stream.
Can I DJ On Facebook? (in short)
The message is quite transparent on Facebook. Facebook live streaming and its products are for sharing with family and friends. They are not supportive of sharing and streaming music unless you are the owner of the music being played and that will give you an exemption. However, there are a few grey ways around the stringent copyright regulations. But still, expect infringement takedowns.
Read this next: How To Livestream DJ Sets In A Few Easy Steps
DJ Facebook
Still, just because a DJ “can” use the platform doesn’t mean they’ll successfully know how to.
Many DJs have experienced the social media website’s increased enforcement of playing music copyright laws.
The platform is now much more stringent when it comes to copyright.
These increased restrictions have continually worked to make streaming much more difficult than on other sites, like YouTube, Twitch, or Mixcloud.
But even those sites have tightened up.
In this overview guide, we’ll be breaking down how you can properly perform on Facebook live steam what to be on the lookout for, as well as some of the best methods you can use to avoid dealing with copyright strikes or video pulling.
Facebook Music Streaming Done Correctly
When it comes to DJing on Facebook live streaming, you may be curious to know whether it’s even possible.
The reality is that, not only is DJing a viable option on Facebook live streaming, but until only recently, it was a highly encouraging way to grow your audience.
Not only were you able to play and perform using Facebook’s video features, but you could post and talk about any of your mixes at length, something you couldn’t do while on Twitter or Instagram to any major degree.
Today, even despite many of its additional hoops and challenges, Facebook live stream is still a common avenue for those that wish to simultaneously develop their skills at DJing as well as cultivate a small audience that loves what you’re putting out.
Facebook Live Rules
Of course, speaking of challenges, we can’t avoid talking about the many new restrictions put in place by Facebook live streaming only a few years back in 2020.
Before that time, the platform was widely known for having virtually no real restrictions, particularly when it came to DJs and streaming.
It was only in 2020 did much of that changed.
With more and more people trying their hand at DJing, there were more and more incidents involving copyright claims. It was through the influx of these claims that Facebook live stream eventually felt that it had no choice but to take a more strict approach to music and copyright ownership.
As many of these restrictions started to make their rounds, it was understandable that many DJs would get worried about even being allowed to perform on the platform.
Luckily, even with these increased restrictions, there are still several ways to deal with them.
Read this next: How To DJ On Twitch (Like a Pro!)
Method #1. Using Your Own Music
Arguably the easiest and most surefire way to prevent dealing with any account flags or licensing issues, since most of these problems stem from and around licensing and copyright discrepancies, the easiest way around them is by simply avoiding them altogether.
By choosing to live stream your on Facebook page instead (or choose to use royalty-free music), you completely remove any instances where your music can be claimed or flagged as stolen.
Not only that but by producing your music owned, you are given greater levels of freedom with your performance since you’re essentially creating everything from scratch.
The only real setback with this method is that, because you’re using your original music, if you haven’t particularly developed that skill yet, it can be a bit difficult to develop fans in the beginning.
Still, this is the only real way you can perform without any chance of your music getting flagged.
Read this next: Music Production for Beginners: The Basic Set-up 101
Method #2. Fast Transitions
The second method, while not quite as bulletproof, is still largely effective if you know what you’re doing and are not too over the top.
Because the majority of incidents surrounding copyright flags are with prerecorded music, one of the easier ways around this issue is simply by including snippets of copyrighted tracks in between unreleased tracks.
Using this method, a DJ will only use small portions of a song that will potentially be flagged by Facebook. Transitioning between tracks needs to be fast and fluid.
In this way, the copyright algorithm will not find it as easy to pick up the copyrighted music being played.
As such, while you’re never in the clear, by performing music quickly, swiftly, and cleverly you can greatly mitigate any potential chances of your mixes getting flagged or taken down.
Give it a whirl, if anything it will give you a chance to really perfect your track transitioning skills.
Read this next: Essential DJing Transitions (Made Simple!)
Method #3. Don’t Monetize Yourself
The last method worth considering is that you actively go about taking away your ability to earn money from any of your videos where you use any potentially royalty-based copyright music.
Most copyright claims and flags are done automatically, with only the murkiest and most unclear instances ever coming directly across a human’s desk.
This is because of the sheer volume of videos that are claimed daily that a person would have to go through.
Because of this, in many cases, whether you’ve marked your video or not, there is still a chance that it’ll get flagged and taken down.
Read this next: DJ vs Producer? (Or Do You Need To Be Both)
Read this next: Can I DJ Live On Instagram? (Sure, Here’s How!)
Can I DJ on Facebook? Takeaway
There are a variety of different ways you can perform as a DJ, with Facebook being only one of the more recently accessible ways, thanks largely in part due to the pandemic lockdowns.
Today, while you can perform at most bars and club venues, online options like Facebook live streaming haven’t slowed down in the slightest.
But they are much more limited so always expect infringement takedowns. Even the biggest artists get them
This means that, provided you know what you’re doing, these areas are still incredibly open and viable options for just about any DJ willing to put in the time and effort.
If you want to make Facebook live stream your avenue for growth and development as a DJ, that’s great. You just need to understand its copyright laws and what is and isn’t allowed on the platform.
Once you know those things, it can be just as viable a crowd pleaser as other avenues.
