Facebook & Instagram Allowlisting

When Symphonic delivers your music to Meta, it is uploaded into Meta's Rights Manager system, which automatically scans all content across Facebook and Instagram to detect when your music is being used. When a match is found, the system can monetize, track, or restrict that content depending on how the match rules are configured. By default, we allow user-generated content containing your music to remain live, and we track and monetize it on your behalf.

However, this means that Rights Manager may also flag your own posts if you upload a video or Reel that contains your own music. This is where allowlisting comes in.

What is allowlisting?

An allowlist is a list of approved Facebook Pages and/or Instagram accounts that have been granted permission to use your music without being flagged, claimed, or restricted by Rights Manager. When an account is added to the allowlist, Rights Manager recognizes that account as authorized and will not take action against content posted from it that contains your music.

Think of it like a VIP list — any account on the allowlist gets a free pass to use your content without triggering a claim.

Why would I want to allowlist an account?

There are several common scenarios where allowlisting is necessary or beneficial:

You're getting claimed on your own content

This is the most common reason. You post a video or Reel on your own Instagram or Facebook Page that contains your own music, and Rights Manager flags it as a match. Your video may get muted, have its audio restricted, or show a copyright notice — even though it's your music. Allowlisting your own account solves this by telling Rights Manager that you are authorized to use your own content.

You're a label and your artists are getting claimed

If you're a record label distributing through Symphonic, your artists may be posting content with their own music on their personal Facebook Pages or Instagram accounts. Without allowlisting, Rights Manager doesn't know the difference between your artist and a random user — it just sees a match and takes action. Allowlisting your artists' accounts ensures they can freely post content using their own music.

You've authorized someone else to use your music

If you've given permission to a specific content creator, brand, collaborator, or promotional partner to use your music in their content, you can have their account allowlisted so they can post without being flagged. This is useful for marketing campaigns, collaborations, or any situation where you've personally authorized someone to use your tracks.

You're running ads or promotional content with your own music

If you're using your own music in paid ads, sponsored posts, or branded content on Facebook or Instagram, Rights Manager may flag the commercial use. Allowlisting the account running the ads ensures your campaigns aren't disrupted by automated claims.

When would I NOT want to allowlist an account?

Allowlisting is not always the right move. Here are situations where you should think twice:

You don't know or trust the account

Allowlisting gives an account blanket permission to use your music without being flagged. If you allowlist someone you don't know or trust, they could use your music in ways you didn't intend — and Rights Manager won't step in to flag or restrict it. Only allowlist accounts that you have a direct relationship with and have explicitly authorized.

You want to track or monetize usage from that account

When an account is allowlisted, the content they post using your music is typically excluded from Rights Manager's standard tracking and monetization actions. This means you may not earn royalties from that account's usage of your music, depending on how the match rules are configured. If earning royalties from a specific account's content matters to you, allowlisting may not be the right choice.

The request is from a non-distributed third party you haven't authorized

Sometimes people who are not your clients, collaborators, or authorized partners will request to be allowlisted so they can use your music without being claimed. Unless you have specifically authorized this person or entity to use your content, do not request allowlisting for them. If someone who is not distributed through Symphonic wants to use your music, they should go through proper licensing channels.

You want Rights Manager to protect your content from unauthorized use

The whole point of Rights Manager is to protect your music from unauthorized use. If you allowlist too many accounts or allowlist accounts without careful consideration, you reduce the effectiveness of that protection. Be selective — allowlist only when there's a clear, legitimate reason.

How do I request an allowlist?

If you are a record label, artist, manager, or brand that is unable to upload content containing music that Symphonic has distributed on your behalf, you can request to have your account allowlisted by filling out the form below. Our team will review the request and process the allowlist through Rights Manager. Please allow a few business days for the request to be completed.

Important: Who can request an allowlist?

Allowlist requests can only be submitted by Symphonic-distributed clients. This includes artists, labels, managers, and authorized representatives of the content.

What happens after my account is allowlisted?

Once your account is added to the allowlist in Rights Manager, you should be able to post content containing your music on Facebook and Instagram without it being flagged, muted, or restricted. The allowlist applies to the specific Facebook Page or Instagram account that was submitted — it does not automatically extend to other accounts, Pages, or profiles you may manage.

If you create a new account, change your Page name, or need to add additional accounts in the future, you'll need to submit a new allowlist request for each one.

My content is still being claimed after allowlisting. What should I do?

If your content continues to be flagged after your account has been allowlisted, it may be due to:

-The allowlist not yet being fully processed (allow a few business days)
-A mismatch between the account that was allowlisted and the account you're posting from (double-check that the correct Page or handle was submitted)
-The content being flagged by a different rights holder (if your track contains samples, features, or elements owned by another party, their Rights Manager settings may still trigger a claim)
-A system delay on Meta's end (occasionally Rights Manager takes time to update)

If the issue persists, please submit a follow-up request with the details, and we'll investigate further.

For more information about how Symphonic's partnership with Meta works and how your music is protected and monetized, see: Facebook and Instagram Stories (Monetization & Info)