How to Add Music to Facebook

Whether you're making new acquaintances or keeping in touch with friends, sharing music helps you connect in a way that goes beyond words. On Facebook, you can add that connection to your social networking experience by sharing popular tunes you love, listening to your music using Facebook apps and uploading your own creations.

The fastest way to add music in Facebook is by posting links on your wall that feature content from another Web site. This applies whether it's your personal wall or the wall for some additional page you create. If you copy and paste the Web address for another page into the "share" text box, Facebook automatically creates a title and summary based on what it finds at that address, and it lets you select from any of the images it finds there.

If you're sharing music, many Web sites provide useful tools that can link to your Facebook page and make use of its features. For example, if you click the "recommend" option for an album at Last.fm, the site posts the link and corresponding image to your wall without you having to revisit Facebook. For direct posts, a site can use Facebook's application programming interface (API) to post content, provided you have a cookie in your browser indicating you're actively logged in to your Facebook account.

YouTube has become a popular option for sharing music on Facebook. This is probably because when you can share a link to a YouTube video, Facebook automatically embeds a video player in your post. Thus, you and your friends can watch the video without leaving your Facebook wall. Music producers have provided video content through industry-sanctioned YouTube channels so you can take advantage of sharing music videos without violating intellectual property laws. The video sharing platform VEVO, a leading brand in content sharing for social networking sites, has a major presence on YouTube.

Before we look at how to upload your own creations, let's check out some of the music apps available for Facebook. As you'll discover on the next page, these apps offer a lot more options for playing and sharing your favorite tracks in Facebook.

Facebook Music Applications

When you want to do more with music in Facebook than post links, you can use Facebook apps. Start by visiting an app's page in Facebook to read more about it. Remember that Facebook isn't responsible for any actions taken by third-party apps, so check user reviews before making the commitment. When you're ready to start using an app, click the "go to app" button at the top of the page and authorize it for your account, or click the "add to my page" link on the left to select a specific page to use the app other than your Facebook home page.

The following are just a few of the music apps available for Facebook that can help you share existing tracks on the Internet:

Spotify, a subscription-based service, lets you access your favorite tunes from anywhere. Part of that access is through its Facebook app, which includes a connection to Facebook from Spotify and options to share music with friends who are also using the app.

The app simply called Music lets you upload a music file or add a direct link to an existing audio or video file. After you've uploaded a track, you can use the app to play your own music or to listen to music your friends have shared through the same app.
Profile Song offers a separate interface outside your Facebook wall where you can find the videos of music you love and post links to them to your wall. When friends click the link posted by Profile Song, they can watch that video in the Profile Song app. You can also use Profile Song to check out what posts your friends have made using the app.
MixPod lets you search for music and create playlists of existing videos from other Web sites like YouTube. The MixPod Facebook app lets you post a playlist to your wall where, as with other videos, you and your friends can play and enjoy the tunes.

So far, we've looked at the various ways to connect to music that's already available online. Next, find out how to use Facebook to upload and share your own recordings.

Facebook Music Player

Besides posting links to music and videos elsewhere on the Internet, you can also upload your own creations to Facebook. Sharing your original work isn't just a fun way to keep in touch with friends. It's also an excellent tool for artists to foster name recognition among millions of Facebook users.

Facebook's primary tool for uploading audio content is its Music Player app. From the Music Player app page, click the "add to my page" link in the left hand navigation menu and select your desired page for installation. Next, click "manage my pages" and choose the profile page where you just added Music Player. Click on "edit page" and then select "apps" from the navigation menu. Click on the "edit settings" link associated with Music Player, and then click "add."

To upload an MP3 to the Music Player, click the "go to app" link for Music Player in your apps list, then click "add a track." You can browse your hard drive to locate the desired track, and then click "upload file." You will be prompted to fill out a brief form verifying that the content is yours and that there is no copyright infringement taking place with the upload. This form serves as your digital signature.

Before you share audio content on Facebook, be sure you're aware of the following limitations and rights:

Facebook limits each video you record or upload to 1,024 MB or 20 minutes in length.
Facebook's terms of use grant the company intellectual property (IP) rights to any content that's actively published on your account.

Facebook protects the IP rights of others if they can prove ownership of the content. To avoid confrontations, only post content you can legally distribute online.

In addition to Facebook's Music Player app, you can also use third party Facebook apps designed for artists who want to promote their work. As with the apps described earlier, each app has its own functions and quirks. Here are some you might be interested in using:

SoundCloud lets you upload tracks to its site and share it in any of several social networking Web sites. With the SoundCloud app for Facebook, you can add a player to your Facebook page where people can listen to your tracks and share them with their Facebook friends.
Band Profile turns the Facebook page for your band into a complete promotional portal. Band Profile helps you share tracks, list upcoming gigs, sell music and grow your fan base. The Band Profile app synchronizes with an account at ReverbNation, a Web site that provides online marketing tools for musicians.
Livestream lets you add live audio and video streaming of an event to your Facebook page. This app connects to your channel at Livestream so fans and friends who can't make it to the show can still enjoy the gig through a live online broadcast.

In this article, we've examined how Facebook can help you share the music you love from other artists and promote your own musical creations, and some of the things you should think about when using music apps to upload and play your tunes. For even more about adding music to your Facebook experience, fast forward to the next page.

Lots More Information

Sources

Facebook. "Terms of Use." (July 25, 2011) http://www.facebook.com/terms.php
Van Buskirk, Eliot. "Top 20 Facebook Music Apps." Wired.com. Conde Nast Digital. Mar. 10, 2011. (July 26, 2011) http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/03/top-20-facebook-music-apps/all/1
VEVO. "About Us." (July 26, 2011) http://www.vevo.com/About