Social media platforms allow users to add music to content, but the licences they negotiate with record labels generally cover personal use. Commercial use, advertisements, product or service promotion and brand campaigns, often falls outside those licences.
‍

Warner Music and other labels have sought the mass removal of commercial content that used protected tracks without commercial licences. The affected accounts included both influencers and major brands.
‍

A common scenario is that a company posts a promotional reel on Instagram with a popular song in the background, using the platform’s native music feature. The platform may tolerate this, but the right holder may still request removal or sue for unauthorised commercial use.
‍

The practical rule is simple: any use of music in commercial online content requires an explicit commercial licence, separate from personal-use licences. Licensing platforms such as Epidemic Sound, Musicbed and Artlist offer accessible solutions.