Facebook music feature allows lip-sync of songs

NEW YORK: Facebook users will be able to lip-sync live to their favorite tunes as the social media behemoth on Tuesday unveiled its first personalized features as part of licensing deals with music labels.

Under the new lip-sync function, Facebook users will be able to select hit songs to share on their live streams. As the music plays, those tuning in will see their friends sing, dance or do whatever else the music inspires them to do.

Users can also post descriptions of their lip-sync performances. The live feed will clearly state the song and the artist and give viewers a chance to click and follow the musician on Facebook.

Dubbed Lip Sync Live, the feature looks set to be a competitor to Musical.ly, the popular karaoke-inspired app that originated in China.

Facebook also said it would allow users to incorporate licensed music to accompany video posts, initially in select markets and eventually around the world.

Announcing the new music projects in a blog post, Facebook -- which also owns Instagram -- said that it planned more options in the future.

"We're looking forward to continuing to work with the music industry to create new ways for people to connect and express themselves through music across our family of apps," a Facebook statement said.

The new features come several months after the company sealed licensing agreements with the three major music label conglomerates.

Despite reaching two billion people, Facebook historically has been relatively inactive on music as rivals such as Apple and Google invest heavily in the fast-growing streaming sector.

While music including homemade videos is omnipresent on Facebook, the company regularly takes down embedded content that is copyrighted. The licensing agreements will help Facebook users include music more seamlessly.