Snapchat gave a much awaited gift to all its users today, bringing a feature that has become an integral part of every social media platform in 2020. The platform will now allow iOS users to add music to their snaps. The feature had been in testing for a while now, after it was launched in Australia and New Zealand back in August.
The company said that it will also test allowing people to add their own music, which can be great for aspiring artists.
Once a person receives a snap with music, he/she can either swipe up to view the album art, song, and artist name, or just tap the ‘Play the Song’ link to listen to the full song on other streaming platforms, like Spotify, and apple music.
Snapchat didn’t exactly specify how big its music catalog will be other than calling it “robust and curated”. That being said, it has a licensing deal with the Warner Music Group, Universal Music Publishing Group to BMP Publishing Group, so we have some idea about the catalogue will look like.
Although it’s clear that Snapchat is settings its sights at TikTok, the company still has a long way to go. It will not have the biggest feature that makes TikTok ‘tik,’ the addictive swipe up feed, plus, we have no idea when the feature will become available on Android.
Moreover, it’d also have to compete with the likes of Instagram, which already has a much better position in the market. The platform introduced music stickers for stories in 2019 and rolled out its primary TikTok alternative, Reels, in August. Thus, SnapChat needs to step up its game if it wants to survive in this cut throat market.
