Snapchat has entered into a new agreement with Universal Music Group (UMG), which will allow Snap users to add song clips from UMG artists through their in-app sound library. Additionally, Snapchat is also looking to add curated playlists within its Sounds options, which will make it easier for Snapchatters to find audio content for their Snaps.
Snapchat first released Sounds late last year, after a year of negotiations with various record labels. Sounds allows users to add music to their Snaps, before or after capture, from a selected music catalog.
At launch, Snapchat offered audio clips from Warner and Sony artists, and now, it will add Universal’s roster to that mix as well. UMG artists include Lady Gaga, Rihanna, and 50 Cent, among many others.
The option, in a way, comes in response to the growing popularity of TikTok, which focuses heavily on music and sounds, which fuel many of its trends within the app. As a result, all applications have become more focused on music. YouTube recently reported that it paid more than $ 4 billion to the music industry over the past year, while Facebook announced an expansion of its partnership with Spotify, which will allow users to share and listen to entire music tracks directly on Facebook.
And clearly, music can play an important role in driving engagement on the platform. Most of the most viewed videos on YouTube are music video clips and, as noted, with TikTok now driving all the new music trends, the app is even influencing the way musicians name and create tracks, as a means of maximizing The exhibition.
As such, it makes sense to see more platforms increasing their focus on this element.
In addition to this, and as reported by Next Reality, the UMG deal will also see more AR lenses related to UMG artists appearing on the app carousel as part of their broader promotional efforts. Snapshot creators will also be able to use UMG tracks in Lenses, via Lens Studio.
Snapchat also notes that it is looking to expand its curated ‘Playlists’ within Sounds to help users find the right track to fit, effortlessly.
As Snapchat explains:
“Playlists will focus on genres, moods and moments that are relevant to our community, as well as songs that are trending on Snapchat.”
Snapchat already has a few categories available in Sounds including “Mood,” “New Artists,” and “Love,” which it will now seek to leverage to maximize music usage.
Will that make music a more important consideration in Snaps? It’s hard to say, but coupled with the popularity of its own TikTok-style ‘Spotlight’ option, you might see Snap better aligning itself with key usage trends, which could have expanded the benefits of engagement.
You can read the full description of the Snapchat newsroom updates here.
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