Snapchat has launched a new music sharing feature that allows users to show the songs they are listening to in real time within the app. This feature integrates with Snap Maps and also works in conjunction with Spotlight short videos, further enhancing the platform's music discovery capabilities.
Integration with Snap Map and Spotlight
The new feature allows users to share their current playback content on Snap Map, letting friends see what they're listening to. Quick actions have also been added to songs in Spotlight videos; users can save music they find interesting directly to Spotify or jump to the corresponding song's page.
Snap stated that the feature is being rolled out gradually in regions where it is already available on Spotify and Snapchat, with Canada to follow.
Users can control the visible range.
Users can set who can see their listening status. This feature will not display recently played songs or show the complete listening history.
If a user has opened Snapchat within 24 hours, the sharing will remain active; if the app is inactive for more than 24 hours, sharing will automatically pause and resume when the app is reopened. Users can also manually pause sharing for 3 hours, 24 hours, or indefinitely.
Social media platforms continue to vie for access to music.
This update continues the trend that social media platforms have been moving towards in recent years: further integrating music discovery and content sharing. TikTok already allows users to import songs from streaming services and save music they come across; Instagram allows users to show what they're listening to through Notes.
Manny Adler, head of Snap's music business, said that music is a way for users to express themselves, and this feature aims to extend that expression to interactions with friends and the discovery of new songs.
Launched in 2017, Snap Map was initially designed for viewing friends' locations and browsing publicly available content worldwide. Since then, the feature has gradually expanded to include local hotspots, event information, and now music sharing. Snap claims that Snap Map currently has over 450 million monthly active users.
