After launching a standalone app and proprietary web destination for video creators last month, Facebook is unveiling two key tools for this set: a library of thousands of free audio tracks and sound effects dubbed Sound Collection, and a so-called 360 Community Page, which will serve as an educational hub for 360° video creation.
Sound Collection will comprise tracks from established composers and songwriters — including Kiri Tse, Jim Santi Owen, and Lyle Workman — as well as sound effects, noises, and instrumental tracks spanning all genres, the company shared in a blog post. Facebook owns the songs and sounds in the collection, and they will be free and clear for creators to use across Facebook and Instagram. Creators will also be able to follow different artists within Sound Collection to discover new tracks, and browse the entire library by genre, mood, length, and vocals to find the perfect fit.
“We want to help creators of all kinds bring people together around their passions on Facebook,” said VP of product Fidji Simo, who added that the company will continue to build the collection over time. “To do this, we need to build tools designed specifically for them.”
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At the same time, the 360 Community Page — launched in partnership with 360° video and VR network Blend Media — will seek to ramp up the more than 1 million 360° videos that have been shared on Facebook to date. The page will comprise video tutorials sourced from the Facebook community about cameras, editing, and spatial audio. The Page will also feature a new editing toolkit called 360 Director, which will enable creators to add ‘annotations’ to their projects and include ‘guides’ that highlight specific points of interest. 360 Director will also offer ‘player controls’ that enable creators to set the zoom level and initial direction of the video.
Furthermore, Facebook is rolling out a Camera Loaner Program, whereby creators can apply to borrow devices — namely the GoPro Fusion and ZCam S1 — directly from Blend Media for upcoming projects as well as to test-drive before buying. Finally, the social giant will continue to host workshops and meet-ups across the globe for 360° video creators in 2018, with a list of events available on the new Community page.
