Facebook Testing Lip Sync Live, A New Feature That Resembles Musical.ly

Facebook has announced that it is testing two big changes in how music can be used on its platform. These changes will allow users to include licensed music in their personal videos and use songs in a new feature called Lip Sync Live.

Facebook said that it’s working alongside record labels to enable users to add music to their videos posted on its platform. The company added that it’s currently testing this in “several markets” and it should be made available to more regions soon. Specifics weren’t given on how exactly this would work, but it does sound like users won’t have to worry about publishing videos that may include copyrighted music anymore. Facebook plans to roll this feature out globally, but no timeframe was given, according to The Verge.

“From weddings and holidays to everyday celebrations, the special moments in life are often ones we associate with music. Together with the music industry, we are working to enable people around the world to include music in their videos on Facebook, opening up more options for creativity and sharing memories with friends and family,” Facebook said in a blog post.

The next big change on Facebook is the addition of the new feature Lip Sync Live, which is also being tested in select markets at present. The new feature is similar to apps like Musical.ly and Dubsmash. It allows users to lip sync with popular music during a live stream.

Lip Sync Live can be found as an option when users start a Live video on the Facebook app. Users will then be able to pick a song from Facebook’s own library, which includes popular songs.

Users will be able to add a description and other customizations before they start their broadcast. During a Lip Sync Live session, the audience will see the artist and song title. Tapping on the artist/title will allow users to like and follow the artist’s official Facebook page. There’s also an option to have a friend join the Lip Sync Live session.

“With Lip Sync Live, you can express yourself with music from a variety of genres in real time. So whether you prefer songs like ‘Happier’ by Ed Sheeran or ‘God’s Plan’ by Drake, Lip Sync Live lets you bring friends and family into spontaneous musical moments,” the company said.

Facebook said it is currently exploring more ways to bring music to its platform. The company also confirmed that adding music to Facebook Stories will become a feature “in the coming months.”